Whether you're renting your house out for the first time or the fifth time, first impressions matter, and high-quality pictures of your property will help you attract all kinds of potential tenants. To help you showcase your rental home effectively, below is a step-by-step guide to photographing your rental.
1. Prepare the Space
Before you begin, it's essential to prepare your house for rent by thoroughly cleaning every room and decluttering everything. Decide if you would like to stage the home with furniture or leave it empty. If tenants currently live in your rental home, ask them if you can take photos and ensure you provide them with 24-hour notice before entering the unit. Ask your tenants to clean up and remove anything personal, such as family pictures, since this could distract potential tenants from envisioning themselves living in your rental home.
2. Ensure You Have the Right Equipment
While a professional camera can give you stunning results, you can easily take professional photos of your unit with a smartphone. Just hold your phone horizontally to get a landscape image of each room. According to Christiaan Cruz, a senior architectural photographer for Apartments.com, you should use a tripod for your smartphone or camera. But if this isn't an option for you, Cruz said to, "learn [how] to brace your phone firmly with solid braced arms and torso."
3. Pick the Right Time of Day
Natural light can help your home look spacious, inviting, and bright. Plus, you don't have to spend money on professional lighting if you take photos in the early morning or late afternoon. Avoid shooting on rainy or overcast days since they can make your house for rent seem dark and small. If you don't have time to wait for a sunny day, make sure you have the lights on and add indoor lamps for your photos. It’s best not to use flash since this could lead to reflections.
4. Avoid Glares and Reflections
Even though a clear, sunny day is perfect for capturing your home for rent, glare can occur and wash out the room. Cruz recommends pulling thin, sheer drapes over the windows or slightly closing the blinds to avoid this. If you still have issues, move the camera left and right or try standing in a different place.
5. Capture All Angles
You may have to capture several images of the same room to determine the right angles. The lighting and framing of each image can change depending on where you stand, but the best place to stand, according to Cruz, is in the far corner of the room to capture everything you can. He also recommended to "keep the camera parallel with the walls [and at] a comfortable height, only rais[ing it] for higher countertops.”
6. Capture the Exterior
Wherever you choose to advertise your property, include exterior shots so potential tenants can understand where they would be living. Cruz recommends, "Find the time of day where the sun shines on the front of your home nicely, then take shots from the center straight on both corners. Try to hold your camera higher, even above your head, to get it more center-lined with the building." If the house has a backyard or patio, follow these same steps for the images so your potential tenants can have a good idea of everything your property offers.
7. Highlight Key Features
As you take pictures throughout your rental home, focus on unique features such as a pool, garden, mudroom, and skylights. To ensure you capture everything, use a wide-angle lens or zoom out on your smartphone.
8. Edit and Enhance
After you have taken all your pictures, it's time to edit them for the best results. Adjust brightness, contrast, and color balance to make the photos pop. Be careful not to over-edit, as this can make the pictures appear unrealistic.
9. Monitor and Update
Once you have uploaded your images online, watch how many views you receive. If you are not receiving views or enough rental inquiries, consider hiring a professional photographer to take your images to ensure your listing is fresh and inviting.
Photographing your rental home is a crucial step in attracting potential tenants. This step-by-step guide can increase your property's online visibility and improve your chances of finding the right tenants for your rental home.
