Good photographs of your home will really help to sell your property. The first impression most people have of your home is the website that your property is displayed on and the first thing they look at are the pictures. You'll be suprised how many people dismiss the house if they don't like the photographs consequently its essential that you take good photos to leave a good first impression.

We've put together some good advice below on the best way to get some good pictures together to impress potential buyers.

Your equipment

Ideally you should be using a digital camera to take your property pictures. You can then modify them in an image manipulation program if necessary too. If you can't get hold of a digital camera then you can use a film camera and then either scan in the photographs yourself or take them to a local bureau who will do this for you. Whichever one of these you use, remember that this is a once only opportunity to acquire an image that is going to work for you - it is not just a holiday snapshot - so make sure you use a good camera. No camera phones or disposable cameras please.

You also need to bear in mind that if you are taking pictures in small enclosed areas like a flat or apartment then your camera should have a wide angle lens. You can check this out for yourself by taking a picture and seeing if you get everything in that you wanted to. If you don't then your rooms will look a lot smaller on the photos than they really are and buyers will be put off. If this happens then see if you can borrow one from a friend or maybe rent one from a nearby store.

A tripod is also a good tool to have but not completely necessary. You can set your picture up and then leave the camera ready to take the shot whilst you make any necessary adjustments to the picture that you're going to take.

Where to take your pictures

A good selection of photographs from around the house, inside and out, will give the buyer a good overview of what your property has to offer. You should probably look to take one of the front of the house, one of the back, one of the living room, one of the master bedroom, one of the kitchen and a few more in the most impressive rooms in the house.

If you have rooms that you'd rather the buyer didn't see then don't include photos of them or take a candid shot of a particular part of the room that looks impressive. Be artistic, but remember that if the prospective buyer does pay you a visit then they will see these areas of your property anyway.

Make sure the main picture of your house is an outside shot if you have a house and a shot of the most attractive room in the house if you have a flat or apartment.

Taking photos outside

Walk outside the house and take a look at your home with a fresh pair of eyes. Sometimes this can be a little difficult to do as you've spent a lot of time there, but a new visitor to the house will see it for the first time and you need to put yourself in their position when taking your photograph.

Consider taking a distance shot of the house if you live in a pretty neighbourhood. If you live in an apartment try to get some distance away, maybe somewhere locally that is high up, and photograph your block from there.

Make sure the car is not parked on the drive, tidy up the garden and hide away those garden gnomes. Think about taking a shot from the bottom of the garden towards the house and compare this to one taken closer to the house of the garden.

If your home faces west take photos in the evening and if your home faces east take photos in the early morning. South facing houses should be photographed in the afternoon, when the sun is not directly overhead, and if your home faces north then watch for the time of day when the sun shines on your house. If you house doesn't get any direct sunlight, try to take the photo on a bright day when the sun moves behind a cloud.

Summary

A picture can paint a thousand words and in the case of selling your property it may be the difference between thousands of euros too. Just look at the difference that a good picture can make:

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