Technology is progressing rapidly. For any homebuyer or a real estate investor, these days the screen appeal of property matters as much as its curb appeal. Screen appeal is all about how your home looks in videos and pictures. Since most homeowners give a virtual tour of their houses through 360-degree view photos and often videos as well, screen appeal is essential to sell their properties online.
Screen appeal has become more important than curb appeal since it puts your entire house on virtual display. The buyer can review these photos over and over again to check every nook and cranny of your property.
So how do you make your property shine on-screen? Here are a few ways to improve your home’s screen appeal.
Declutter
This one’s a no-brainer. Buyers want to know how spacious your property is. They don’t want to see the stuff lying around in your rooms. So, declutter your space before taking photos for a virtual tour.
Put your children’s toys, sporting equipment, and other items in drawers. Remove electrical appliances, decorative items, and other household stuff. Empty your kitchen counters to give potential buyers a better idea of the available space. View each room through the camera lens to see if everything looks organized and spacious.
Clean and repair
Find a commercial cleaning supplier to get the right tools for proper cleaning so your home is sparklingly clean before it is put up for sale. You can hire a commercial cleaner to give your house a deep cleaning, but that isn’t usually necessary.
Here are a few cleaning essentials:
- Dust counters, cabinets, doors, windows, and ceilings.
- Vacuum and mop the floor thoroughly.
- Check the plumbing, roof, garage, gutters, and lighting and make any necessary repairs.
Hire a professional house inspection team to assess all interior and exterior areas, and advise on everything that is in need of repair. This should be done before you take photos of your property for a virtual tour.
Repaint the walls
You don’t need to do a bunch of renovations to spruce up your home. Grab a roller and repaint your bedroom, kitchen, and living room walls. Get the hooks and nails off your walls, clean any stains, and sand down the chipped and scratched areas on the walls. The colors you choose for your walls also play an integral part in the screen appeal of your property.
Some colors give a touch of elegance and class to your property, while others can look pretty dull. So, always discuss colors with home contractors or an interior designer before repainting your walls. It’s better to stick to warm and neutral tones, as you have no clue about your buyer’s preference. Avoid any bold or bright designs. Keep it warm and simple.
Improve the lighting
Open all the windows and take the photos of your interiors in the daytime. There should be enough light so that the rooms do not appear dark. Turn on all the lights, including the lamps and night lights, to get bright and clear photos of your property. Clear and consistent lighting helps you to make a great first impression. This means you should check if the lightbulbs around your house are consistent in color. The goal is to make your house look brighter and warmer – it should look inviting and perfectly lit up.
Renovate your property
Preparing for sale doesn’t mean changing your furniture or buying new home appliances. However, you property could probably benefit from a few finishing touches to look better and more inviting. For example, replace your outdated curtains with window blinds, put colorful pillows on your sofa, and add a few house plants.
There are plenty of ways to enhance the screen appeal of your house. Cozy seating and table arrangements are highly recommended for garden areas. Hire a landscaping company to prepare your outdoor areas. A renovated and decluttered house is highly likely to be sold quickly.
Explore different virtual tour options
It’s important to use the right equipment to create the perfect virtual tour of your property to impress potential homebuyers. Some sellers give a live virtual tour through Skype, Zoom, and FaceTime. These are great options, but you should rehearse before conducting such a virtual meeting. Alternatively, you can invest in virtual home photography software services, such as My360 and iStaging to film a 360-degree video of your house. If you are not confident about your photography skills, hire a professional videographer and photographer.
Key takeaways
In today’s virtual world, high screen appeal can make all the difference in selling your property quickly for a high price. There are a range of things you can do to enhance your home’s screen appeal, and most are not too arduous or expensive, so don’t overlook these steps.
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