We all know that presentation is so important when it comes to selling your home. You want to show it at its best so that potential buyers can really picture themselves living there. So, when preparing for a virtual viewing, how can you achieve the best possible presentation of your home for a great on-screen experience? And, is there really a difference in how you stage your property for a virtual viewing, compared to a traditional physical viewing?
It might surprise you to hear, but the answer is YES – there absolutely are extra ways you can prepare your home for a virtual viewing to make it a cut above the rest.
We have a lot of experience in producing virtual tours, so we’ve put together our top tips on how to prepare and style your home for a great virtual viewing.
Get in touch to learn more about selling your home with Follwells.
Before we run you through our handy tips, let’s recap on what makes virtual viewings so effective …
What’s a virtual viewing?
A virtual viewing is where we use advanced photography technology to create an immersive 360-degree walk-through of your home, capturing all of its appealing qualities. This gives potential buyers the chance to initially tour your property from the comfort of their own home (without having to visit your home in person) to get that first feel for it. Plus, a virtual viewing allows them to take a look around at any time of the day, any day of the week.
Are virtual viewings effective?
While offering both you and your potential buyers a safe, Covid-secure way to view your property, virtual viewings also provide many other benefits that can make selling your home, easier, more efficient and often faster. For example, virtual viewings filter out anyone who wouldn’t be the right buyer for you, connecting you with potential buyers that are more serious about your property – because those that go on to request an in-person viewing clearly liked what they saw when they ‘walked-through’ virtually. This means there’s a higher chance of it turning into an offer on the table – saving you time and effort in the long run.
You’ll also notice that when browsing sale listings, a virtual tour can really enhance the online advert for a property, giving it more of a standout edge and a better chance of getting the right potential buyer’s attention.
For more on the effectiveness of virtual viewings, take a look at 5 ways virtual tours speed up selling your home.
So, on to those tips for creating a great virtual viewing…
1. Declutter – a lot
First up is an obvious one, but it’s one of those key basics that can make the biggest difference. Any cluttered areas that you can see as you look around your home, will look twice as cluttered on a screen.
Here’s a list of some of the top clutter culprits you should temporarily hide away for your virtual shoot:
● Coats, bags and shoes in the hallway
● Excess kitchen utensils that cover up worktop space
● Toys and clothes
● Toiletries
● Spare loo rolls
● Books/magazines on overflowing shelves
2. Light it up
Try to make your home appear as light and airy as possible. This is key to any type of viewing, but it’s especially important for a virtual viewing – the camera is less understanding than the naked eye, so it will need help to reflect the amount of light in your home. Pull all curtains fully back and make sure blinds are completely open. Add complementary lighting by turning lights and lamps on, ensuring all bulbs are working and that each bulb within a fixture is consistent in terms of warmth and colour.
3. Make surfaces shine
To really make your property look showstopping on-screen, invest a little time on cleaning your surfaces in ways that can enhance them visually. With a bit of buffing and polishing, you can make your surfaces really shine on camera. Focus on getting your kitchen worktops to look extra glossy, making any stainless-steel look newer, wiping off fingerprints around the house and cleaning all windows thoroughly (which again will really help your home to appear brighter and more light-reflective). And don’t forget to touch up any scuffed paintwork on walls and skirting boards as you go.
4. Put any sensitive items away
Remember one of the best things about virtual viewings, is that potential buyers will be able to access a walk-through of your property 24/7. This is great in helping to speed up the sale of your home because it eliminates any time spent waiting for an initial viewing appointment. However, it’s important to remember that if you have any images of grandchildren or vulnerable people around your home that you don’t want to appear on camera, then you might want to hide them out of view when the virtual shoot takes place. The same goes for any sensitive documents or material or documents you’d like to keep private.
5. Don’t forget the outdoors
Virtual viewings usually include the exterior of your home, so take this opportunity to show your outdoor spaces at their best. Tidy away any garden tools and hosepipes, clean the front door and window frames so the camera doesn’t pick up any dirt or smudges, remove any weeds from the drive or pathways and soften patios with potted plants as we move into Spring.
6. Think about those finishing touches
After you’ve decluttered, cleaned and brightened your home, add a few finishing touches to create a sense of lifestyle. Flowers, simple candles and one or two house plants can set a natural, homely tone without making it feel crowded on camera. A lamp and a book on a bedside table can add a relaxing feel to the bedroom. Open all doors to show how spacious your home is and to make the viewer feel welcome. Set the dining room table to frame the scene of the room and style it with a simple centrepiece.
Your virtual viewing can be both appealing and safe
We hope these tips are helpful in preparing for a virtual viewing and creating a captivating on-screen ‘walk-through’ that can speed-up selling your home, in a Covid-secure way.
What usually happens after a virtual viewing?
If a potential buyer has viewed your property virtually and then makes an enquiry about it, our next step is usually to arrange a physical viewing with you, the seller. Rest assured, we’ve put clear guidelines and practices in place to make physical viewings as Covid-secure as possible – keeping all elements of the process as safe as we can for our clients, staff and potential buyers is our priority.
If you’re thinking of beginning your moving journey, there’s no need to put it off. We’re progressing house sales and beginning new ones every day.
Get in touch and let us help you secure your dream move this festive period. We’re here to help answer any further questions you may have.
