Lights & Brights That Add Value to Seller Photography

Adding value to your home really starts with the basics.  In determining those basics, just put yourself in the buyer’s shoes and ask yourself, “what do I want to see in this house that would increase my likelihood of making an offer?”

In my next video, I continue to talk about home preparations as I completed my own home for resale.  DIY’ing your preparations is fine as we all want to save money here and there.  However, economizing on materials will lesson the look, cost you more time and money and ultimately, the value of your home to potential buyers.

Let’s talk basics.  Lighting is a fundamental “make it or break it” for any pictures, and especially for online home listing photos.  This is the time to walk through the house and replace old light bulbs with maximum wattage soft white light bulbs between 2,700-3,500 lumens.  The lower the lumen, the more yellow the light.  The higher the lumen, the bluer the light.  This range hits the mark for photography.  

In my previous video, we discuss the benefits of paint as a value-add for listing pictures and showing.  Paint, as I said before, is $$$$ in a can, and one of the best preparations that will return your investment if your current walls are tired, personalized, or damaged from wall hangings.  Keep your colors neutral and appealing to your target buyer.  Also, don’t hesitate to call on a professional Color Consultant to help you present your home from the curb to the back door entry.  This is money well spent by limiting mistakes. 

Once you decide on your colors, invest in quality materials to lesson your time painting.  Builder grade materials are never recommended as while cheaper, they don’t produce the same quality results and often, result in more time to do the job.  Purchase a reputable mid-grade paint brand with a primer in flat or eggshell finish to minimize the number of coats necessary to provide thorough coverage of the walls.  One coat doesn’t always do the job based on the age and color of the base and the porosity of the sheetrock. 

In addition, invest in quality rollers and brushes.  I was AMAZED at the difference in time and the overall look when I borrowed my contractor’s brush to paint trims.  You can purchase a nylon Wooster brush for your trims at this link.  Remember, trims and moldings look best against walls when painted in semi or high gloss finishes.