Quick poll- external photos when listing property

[LittlePickleHead]

Just to help and DH and I (and the agent!) are at odds about this.

Would you say that when listing a property, it is really important to have a photo of the outside of the front of the building as the first photo (so appearing in the searches). Would you find it suspicious (e.g. must be an ugly building) if it was a different photo? Or would another external photo (e.g. back garden) be just as good in your opinion?

Thanks!

[FatherReboolaConundrum]

I assumed when house-hunting that any house where there was no photo of the front was (a) pig ugly, (b) had some serious problem with the front (render coming away, damaged roof), (c) was right next to something unfortunate (motorway, sewage works, tar pit) or (d) all of the above. No photo of the front is always a warning sign IMHO. Mind you, I'd assume the same if there was no photo of the back garden either.

[dizzybiatch]

Yes i would also prefer a picture of the front of the house as the main photo. I always assume if its internal pic that the house must be ugly or unfortunate in some way!

Is your house ugly? If I had a really ugly house but a gorgeous big garden i would maybe then consider a garden shot for the main pic.

[Fizzylemonade]

First photo should always be the front of the house, or like the others I would feel that it was an ugly house.

I always think including lots of photos in general and a floor plan helps people get a true sense of the house.

I would rather have people discount my property before they get through the door rather than have tidied for them, toured them round, only for them to discount it based on something that could have been shown in a photo.

[HoratiaWinwood]

Yes, not having external looks suspicious.

From a practical pov, it's helpful for viewers when locating property.

When we sold ours, we viewed 15 or so houses in one hellish weekend. We trawled RightMove for everything in the right area, size and price, then ignored anything without a floor plan.

In fact, the house we are in seemed too small from the photos and description, and we only viewed it because the floor plan was so interesting. And here we are in a house that's perfect for us...

[HoratiaWinwood]

Oh, and yyyy to this:

I would rather have people discount my property before they get through the door rather than have tidied for them, toured them round, only for them to discount it based on something that could have been shown in a photo.

[LittlePickleHead]

I don't think it's ugly. It's a four storey Victorian villa split into flats. It is perhaps a little scruffy at the front (woodwork needs repainting and a fence needs repairing). We've done what we can on ours (basement) which looks lovely, but as its a side entrance you can't tell from the front. We need to get agreement from other freeholders and the painting work is a big job, hence not being able to sort it immediately (we are keen to move ASAP). I think the photographer should be able to make it look ok but the agent said to use the back garden instead? Our garden is lovely but I still disagree as I think it still gives the impression we have something to hide - we don't really. Dh is agreeing with the ea 'expertise' so I thought getting impartial opinions would be helpful. I totally agree whenever I see a photo of anything (even garden) other than the front I'm suspicious.

[minipie]

I think you need a photo of the front AND the garden. I don't think either has to be the first pic though - if you have a really lovely living room or kitchen then use that as the first/main pic. I wouldn't use the garden as the first photo though since people want to see the living space more. If the EA will only give you limited photos (can't see why in this internet age) then I'd go for front, garden and the best interior shot you can.

Oh and you really need a floor plan!

If the front is a little scruffy then take the photo from quite a long way back, that way it's clear it's a Victorian villa (good) but not so clear it's a bit scruffy (less good).

I bought a flat in a four storey Victorian villa which needed a bit of TLC on the outside (much like yours) but you couldn't tell it was scruffy from the EA's photo of the front of the building - just looked like a lovely building.

[LittlePickleHead]

It's not dissimilar to this <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=victorian+conversion+flat+london+external&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-Address&rlz=1I7LENP_enGB468GB468&tbm=isch&tbnid=OSMojmvbczEIRM:&imgrefurl=www.adtrader.co.uk/greater-london/southwark/property-for-sale/lounge&docid=mPw4_H2lQ-KfRM&imgurl=images.portalimages.com/large/tp/52891/5/ecimage1/339512.jpg&w=1024&h=769&ei=pb00UNakDoSg0QWun4CABg&zoom=1&biw=1366&bih=651" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=victorian+conversion+flat+london+external&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-Address&rlz=1I7LENP_enGB468GB468&tbm=isch&tbnid=OSMojmvbczEIRM:&imgrefurl=www.adtrader.co.uk/greater-london/southwark/property-for-sale/lounge&docid=mPw4_H2lQ-KfRM&imgurl=images.portalimages.com/large/tp/52891/5/ecimage1/339512.jpg&w=1024&h=769&ei=pb00UNakDoSg0QWun4CABg&zoom=1&biw=1366&bih=651 (except they are not terrace as we have a side entrance!)

[LittlePickleHead]

That's exactly what I thought minipie, you won't really be able to tell!

[reluctanttownie]

I am v suspicious (and tend to dismiss) somewhere that has NO external photo, but I don't have too much of a problem if it's not the photo displayed in the search results, as long as it's available somewhere. If the house has another room/feature that's a real selling point I think it's better to put that as the main picture, but if it's all kind of average then I'm always a little if the external photo is not the main one. As much as anything it's just an annoyance - I have to click through just to work out if it's even worth thinking about.

[HoratiaWinwood]

I think external is less important for flats (as maintenance is usually freeholder's responsibility) so garden if it's yours is the selling point.

Floor plans are even more important for conversions IMHO.

[minipie]

Yes that's a lovely building so I'd definitely want a photo of the front included! The front of flats never looks quite as smart but flat buyers are used to that I think. How many photos do you get?

[7to25]

External photo is more important with flats!
you have a nanosecond to say "period property, not Nelson Mandela Heights" to flickers and clockers on right move.

[LittlePickleHead]

A quick check would show that the agent usually uses 6 photos. So I would say front, back, reception, kitchen, bathroom and main bedroom? Does that sound right? And floor plans are as standard

[minipie]

agree 7to25 although when flat hunting I could generally tell if it was a period property from the internal photos - the sash windows, bays etc generally make it obvious.

[minipie]

cross posted.

Yes little that sounds about right to me. Assume by back you mean garden.

If the bathroom or kitchen are a bit elderly they are often left out (but the result is that buyers assume the worst if no kitchen/bathroom photo, so if yours are nice and modern definitely do include them)

[LittlePickleHead]

Yes i did mean garden (thank goodness I did all that weeding and planting!) and bathroom is new, kitchen is fine, reception lovely. Eek fingers crossed! photos being taken tomorrow so I'm going to sparkle everything, add some flowers, remove any clutter. Anything else I could do? Better to remove car from the drive do you think?

[HoratiaWinwood]

No, unless it's very distinctive. In fact, squeezing multiple cars on is a good idea if it doesn't obscure house too much - buyer thinks "off-street parking for two cars" and looks in details to check whose the spaces are.

Whose are the spaces?

[LittlePickleHead]

One is ours, one is our neighbours but they don't have a car so it will be empty

[minipie]

little my main tips for photos are 1) switch lights on if any room is a bit dark and 2) look for and hide any trailing wires - they show up SO badly in photos. Also make sure all curtains/blinds are as open as possible, and straight!

I wouldn't remove the car unless it's an old banger...