Virtual tours are all the rage these days, and for good reason. Not only do virtual tours make it easier for buyers to view homes they might be interested in at any time of the day or night, they’re safe. With a virtual tour, a home shopper can eliminate homes they definitely do not want to see, making the whole process a lot more efficient.
As the seller of one of these homes, it’s extra important that your home
is staged so that the virtual tour makes people want to come in and see more.
This often goes well beyond what you’d need to do for a regular showing, since
your goal is to mimic the feeling of what it’s like to be in your house. Don’t
worry, we’ve got some tips to get you started!
Declutter Like Your In-Laws Are
Coming for Vacation
Before you list a home, it’s always important to declutter. Get rid of
anything you don’t immediately need, or at least put it in storage somewhere
away from the house. That idea goes doubly for virtual tours. It may seem like
no big deal that you’ve got an extra ottoman or side table in a room when
people are physically in the space, but the goal of a virtual tour is to try to
create a sense of how the space actually feels in real life, and that can be
hard if there’s too much distracting stuff sitting around.
When it comes to virtual tours, less is more, to a point. It’s still
important to keep a few things even in unused rooms to provide a sense of scale
and purpose for the room, but remember that the people seeing the tour want to
see your home, not your belongings. Balance is key, and it can be a delicate
one to strike.
Make the Best Features Obvious
When you’ve lived in a
house long enough, even the coolest features can seem pretty mundane and kind
of turn into background noise. When you’re trying to sell that house, think
like a buyer. Does your home have some great things that buyers would want to
see, or unique detailing that’s worth a second look?
Rather than skimming
over these points of interest, emphasize them! Use well-placed lighting, simple
decor, or other tactics to draw the eye to the cool parts of your home and
landscaping without overwhelming them. It’s all about scale; just remember that
your home’s best features are the main attraction!
Remember to Keep Security Front
of Mind
We’ve all got
something that would be absolutely tempting for an unscrupulous sort to rifle
through or carry off. Whether that’s family jewelry, a gun safe, or even just a
fire safe for paperwork, the temptation can be strong. Rather than display
these items during a virtual tour, put them away so they’re not advertising to
potential visitors that you might have something worth taking.
Along those same
lines, try to tuck security equipment like cameras and sensors out of the way,
even if they are part of the home and will be sold with it. As long as they’re
in place and present when people view the home in person, potential buyers will
be aware of the security system they’re getting, without everyone on the
internet also knowing where all the sensors and cameras are.
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