The tiny little photo that sells your house

Prior to your house going on the market, I suggest that sellers stand in front of their home and take a photograph of it, using their smartphone, from the street. The National Association of Realtors’ statistics for 2016 tell us that 92% of homebuyers use the internet in some way in their home search process, and 50 percent of buyers use a mobile website or application in their home search. What this means to you as a seller is that many people are going to see your home for the first time on their phone, and the size of the photo will be about a quarter of the size of their screen. That is tiny. The question is, how can you make your home look wonderful in such a tiny photo?

The answer is in the details. Let’s start with the exterior of your home. Is the color appealing? Are the windows clean and sparkly? Is the trim freshly painted? If it’s brick, are there obvious areas that need tuckpointing? What does your roof look like? Are there peeling shingles?

What you are trying to communicate in that tiny picture is that your home is well maintained. One of the easiest ways to signal to buyers that your home is updated is with a beautiful door. If you have a screen door, sometimes it’s a good idea to remove it, especially if the door behind it is original to the home and part of its charm. If you don’t wish to remove it, make sure that your storm door is well maintained, that the screen isn’t in need of repair, and that it is freshly painted and in good condition. Your porch lighting or side lights can be another easy update. For a small investment, you can freshen up your home’s appearance, and get more of those online buyers to click through to look at the rest of your photos, and not pass you by. Sometimes we forget about the way our house looks from the street, especially if we usually come and go from another door. Is your address clearly posted so that your house is easy to find?

Another big bang for your buck is landscaping. If you don’t have a green thumb, there are plenty of places (Costco is a great example) that sell pretty pots of flowers already in a container; just place it on your porch or stairs, and voila! Instant greenery! Even in the winter months, it is possible to have a nice display of evergreens to welcome buyers to your home. Your landscaping should be neat and look well cared for; overgrown bushes that obscure the view of your home scare away potential buyers. Keep it simple and let your house shine through.

Here’s a do: see how pretty it looks, with the pots at the top of the stairs and the trimmed back landscaping that doesn’t take away from the home’s lovely details. Even in the winter, this house looks great.

Here’s another terrific example of the front of the home; the colors of the house and the steps play well against the mostly green landscaping. It looks like a Victorian dream house!

It’s important to get some expert advice before you begin the process of preparing your home for sale. Your realtor can help! A great way to get to know your agent and how well you might work together is to ask her to come over and give you some suggestions about how to make your home look its best. If you feel comfortable and like her suggestions and advice, that is a great sign that your home sale with go well.