Tips to Making Your Home Stand Out in a Virtual Tour

January 5, 2021
home staging

Virtual tours have long been a part of the real estate selling process, but perhaps at no time have they been as popular as they are now. The health crisis has forced real estate agents and homeowners to revamp their sales process to keep everyone safe and adhere to physical distancing measures, and virtual tours are the perfect compliment to selling safely.

Virtual tours can help buyers check out homes on the market before visiting them in person. They’re using virtual tours as a way to wean out the duds and focus only on properties that catch their attention. Considering this, it’s important for sellers to do what they can to make sure their homes make the shortlist for buyers.

Here are some tips to help make your home stand out in a virtual tour.

Use the Right Lighting

Lighting is a crucial component to help create an attractive interior that’s ready for the cameras. Your home will look its best if you use the appropriate lighting. Ideally, the footage should be shot in the middle of the day when natural lighting is at its optimal. Open up all the blinds and drapes to clear the way for natural light to come in through the windows.

You may also want to make use of lamps and accent lights to create a welcoming environment and to highlight the best aspects of your home. Just make sure that you don’t overdo it with artificial lighting that could overwhelm the space.

Highlight Your Home’s Best Features

Go through your home and pinpoint the features that make it stand out. These can be an oversized kitchen island, an open concept floor plan, soaring ceilings, a feature fireplace, or a great outdoor space. No matter what the features are, they will likely attract buyers, so make sure to pay extra attention to these traits in photos and your virtual tour.

Add a New Coat of Paint

If your walls are looking a little drab, that will be captured in the virtual tour, which is exactly what you don’t want. Instead, consider giving your home’s interior a fresh coat of paint. Not only will it hide any scuff marks, but it will also spruce up the space and make it look like new. Choose lighter, neutral colours, as these tend to show better on camera, especially if your home is lacking in square footage.

Have Your Home Professionally Staged

Home staging is a critical step in the process of setting up a virtual tour. You don’t want any photos or footage taken until your home has been appropriately staged for buyers looking in your area.

Start with rooms that are most influential on buyers, such as the kitchen, living room, master bedroom, bathroom, and entryway. Remove any clutter and personal artifacts to help prospective buyers picture themselves living in your home. Rearrange or add furniture to make the space seem larger, and add greenery and flowers to the table for some colour.

Consider a professional staging service to take this job off your hands and to ensure a job well done to help make your home stand out in a virtual tour. Call Hope Designs today!