How to sell a property in Spain quickly — 5 tips on how to prepare your home for a photo shoot

Having good pictures of your home is a must if you wish to sell it quickly in Spain or actually anywhere in the world.

As agents, we at Virto Property know that even the luxurious villa can have such poor photos that no one wants to visit it. While an average apartment can be the star of a show thanks to the photos taken right.

This is extra important now because the home selling process has moved online. Many buyers make a choice emotionally based on a first impression, and our job is to show a picture of the house they want to move into. Taking perfect pictures is easier than it seems at first glance. The main thing is to act consistently and take into account some critical points that only few are aware of.

Here are the top 5 ideas on how to prepare for a photo session for the house and save your time and money.

If you've decided to sell your home, sooner or later you're going to have to pack up your belongings, so you'd better start doing it now.

Stock up on boxes, sort your belongings by dividing them into categories:

• Leave. Of those things that you leave, first put into boxes personal items that you rarely use or that you wear in other seasons.

• Throw away. Immediately throw out things that fall into this category, do not store them.

• Sell, give away. Take photos for ads and post them on web sites like https://www.milanuncios.com, https://es.wallapop.com, neighborhood groups, or "give-away" groups. If you wish, give your things to charity organizations.
  
  

Why start by sorting stuff? Psychologists say that by doing so you "program" your mind. You will be focused on moving and selling, everything will go much easier and faster.

Tip: Arrange a garage sale, at the same time tell the neighbors about your decision to sell the house, so you will expand the circle of possible buyers.

Arrange a cleaning, so it will be obvious in pictures that the housing is tidy. No stains, no sweat on the walls and ceiling, and no dust should remain under the bed.

If the repair in your home was a long time ago or there is noticeable damage – do some easy inexpensive repair. Sometimes it's enough to freshen up the color of the walls – paint will allow you to do it yourself and fairly quickly. If necessary – touch up the walls and ceilings, refresh or polish with special products for wooden facades and doors. Restore shine to your bathroom and kitchen. Pay attention to furniture – make dry cleaning of sofas and chairs, touch up the kitchen fronts, see if it is worth replacing the mirrors.

Now move on to lighting – is the current light helping you sell your home? Should you replace the bulbs with warmer or cooler ones? Is there a need to add some light or reduce it?

Tip: Remember the places you pay attention first and look at your home through someone else's eyes. Engage in cleaning and tidying up these areas first.

There should be no visual noise in future photos. Look at advertisements from expensive real estate agencies as an example.

After getting a portion of inspiration, remove personal belongings, photos, items that talk about your family and hobbies. Only neutral interior elements and design should remain for pictures. This way it will be easier for future owners to imagine themselves in the new interior.

Separately, it's worth mentioning pets. Many people love to see pictures of cats and dogs, and among your potential buyers there will probably be many animal lovers.

But when selling a house, there are no small things. It's best to remove for picture any signs of animals in the house. Even cat-dog owners may perceive a pet negatively when looking for a home, thinking about having to make repairs or about other pet's odours.

Tip: Don't hide things in boxes under beds, closets or on top shelves. They will be visible in the photo, which is not what we want. All unnecessary things should already be in boxes, and what is still not there should be put in boxes and taken out to another room at least for the picture.

Before you start the photo shoot, you should have an idea of what to shoot, in which order, and why. This way you can show all the advantages of the house and hide some minor flaws.

Write an ad to sell your home. Think which photos will clearly illustrate all the advantages.

Are you saying that you have modern split systems installed? One of the photos should show them. If you want to mention that you recently made repairs and replaced all the communications then show it in the pictures. Your house is in a beautiful location? Take some panoramic photos of surroundings. In case you have high ceilings – think of ways to show that. Pull out and showcase all of your property's strengths!

Make a note of what time of day your home looks its best in natural light and invite professionals or take photos yourself at that time.

Tip: Look at the views from your windows, tidy up your surroundings, and take a photo. Few people show the view from the window, and if it's good – buyers will contact you faster.

After you've cleaned up the mess, decluttered, done a cleaning, and even freshened up the renovations, it's high time to add some eye-catching details. Interiors that follow the same color scheme sell better.

Ideally, these should be neutral colors. If you have several different color spots in the room, solid color textiles and interior items will help. It is not necessary to buy everything new, but think about it – maybe you can borrow something from friends or relatives just for the sake of the photos.

Tip: If you do not have time and mood to arrange the beauty yourself, call the House Doctor. The Home Staging service is popular in States and Europe. This is the name of the professional preparation of property for sale or lease, taking into account psychological, aesthetic and marketing principles. You can search for suitable professionals to meet your budget and quality requirements in your local association or by searching online for Home Staging in Spain.

Are you an owner of a Spanish property? We can help you sell your townhouse, villa or apartment in Spain quickly! Publish your ad for free on our portal.

These 5 tips will help you prepare for a professional photo shoot at home without any pain. The bonus to having great photos is another benefit! Your home will be ready to be shown to potential buyers. You will not need to spend time cleaning your house, you will know the basic algorithm of actions and will quickly remove the unnecessary stuff before the viewings.