Every potential home buyer starts their search by scrolling through hundreds of listings on their mobile devices. Sitting in the car line, relaxing in front of the TV or even in a restaurant, they all do it.  A whopping 90% to be exact.

So how do you use some home staging tips to home grab their attention?

The answer is …you make the listing a thumb-stopper!

You know the one. The one that makes your thumb stop scrolling long enough to take a closer look. The listing that jumps off the screen and brings you to a screeching halt. And the secret is all in the pictures.

As professional home stagers in Jacksonville, FL it’s the number one home staging tip we give our clients.  If you want to highlight your homes best features, and get more eyes on your listing its all in the pictures.

In a competitive real estate market where a picture is worth a thousand words, great photos need to inspire a buyer to take action.  The few minutes they spend scrolling on their phone is critical in making that great first impression.  Often it’s the only time you get to help a buyer make that split second decision to save the listing or pass it by. If your listing displays poor or unattractive pictures, you’ll likely lose the buyer before you’ve even had a chance to sell them on your homes best features.

It’s a well know fact that photos will dramatically increase a listing ability to connect with a buyer faster than any other form of marketing.  Potential buyers make their beginning home search decisions solely on what they’ve seen in photos.

With that in mind take a look at our house staging tips for selling your home through pictures:

If you can see it, the camera will pick it up. – Take a walk through your home and look at it as a potential home buyer will see it.  Look at each room from a variety of angles.  Is the furniture positioned in uninviting arrangments? Are there corners that have become junk magnets? Make the living areas look warm and conversational while displaying stylish décor. If there are rooms that are connected, be sure you have good shots that show the entire space. Try to include at least three walls in each room shot. Take into consideration furniture placement, windows, doorways and other features you want to highlight.

Highlight your home in the best light. – Use the sun to enhance the rooms nature light. Open the blinds, pull back the drapes and capture the warmth of the home by taking pictures that show how sunlight enters the room. People can envision snuggling up to a sunny window on a chilly afternoon more than they can see themselves living in a darkened room that lacks natural light. If you have great views, highlight them. Wash the windows and let the sunshine in.

Take YOU out of the pictures. – Depersonalizing a home, especially for listing photos is essential.  Your potential home buyers want to imagine themselves living in the house, and they cannot do that if all they see is you. Family pictures, decorations, excess furniture, and collections don’t photograph well and will distract potential buyers. Clean off the front of your refrigerator, hang the coats in a closet, put away all toiletries, and clear off the counters of anything personal.

Let your floors shine through. Ditch extra throw rugs and runners and keep the floors as free from distractions as possible. By exposing the floors you’ll create the illusion of more open livable space.

Keep it clean. – The homes that sell the fastest are the cleanest. If your photos display dirty or cluttered rooms, home buyers will not give your listing a second look. Beautiful images that show a home that is clean and uncluttered attracts attention and gets those buyers to slow down long enough to save the listing and want to go see it in person. Pay attention to the outside of your home as well. Trim the bushes and mow the lawn before snapping that first picture.  Hide the trash cans and clean up after your pets. Put the toys away and remove bikes and cars from the driveway.

Sell a lifestyle, not just a home. – Does your neighborhood have a fantastic community pool or clubhouse? Are you in walking distance to quaint little shops or a beautiful walking trail?. Take the time to add those lifestyle pictures to your listing as well.

These are just a few of the home staging tips for sellers we use. If you are in the market to sell your home in Jacksonville, FL, we offer a complete array of home staging services. With our home staging photography service, we will highlight your homes best feature and make your homes listing an effective and profitable thumb-stopper!

Interiors Revitalized is a full-service home staging, model home merchandising, and interior design firm located in Jacksonville Florida.  In addition to Jacksonville, we serve the  St. Johns, St. Augustine, Orange Park, Fleming Island, and Fernandina Beach areas. Contact us today at 904.625.2214 to discuss your home staging or interior design project.  We’ll make that first offer your best offer!

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