A video tour is like an open house. Which means, preparing your home for an HD video tour is just like preparing your home for an open house. Here are a few things to help your home looks its best for a video tour or an open house:

1. Depersonalize As Much As Possible -- This is the number one rule of staging. The idea here is to help potential buyers see themselves in your home. Family pictures, tchotchkes, etc. will appear as clutter. Clear off counters, shelves and take down the photo wall.

 

2. Clean The Walls And Floors -- When shooting in High Definition (HD), the camera picks up EVERYTHING. Any dirt, holes, scrapes and other dings you can see while standing in the room will show up on camera. Scrub the walls and floors thoroughly. If you think a wall looks like it needs a fresh coat of paint, it probably does.

 

3. Minimize The Furnishings To The Essentials -- The less furniture in the rooms, the more space in the rooms. It’s about leaving enough furniture to define a room’s purpose without crowding the room.

 

4. Declutter, Declutter, Declutter -- The cleaner the room, the more open and airy it will appear on camera. Also, clutter has a way of catching the eye. Remove the stacks of magazines, mail, etc. to keep the viewer focused on the best parts of your home.

 

5. Green it up! -- Plants and fresh flowers go a long way in brightening up any room. Yellow flowers look great on camera. Place a tasteful arrangement of fresh flowers just inside the front door. In the kitchen, place a big bowl of mixed fruit. Too much can clutter, so one or two in a room is usually enough.

 

6. Let The Sunshine In! -- open the curtains in every room. Cameras LOVE light, especially natural light. And natural light will make your home look good. Use lamps to light up dark corners in a room.

 

7. Scrub The Bathrooms -- Showing all the bathrooms is an essential part of a video tour. Any scum, dirt or clutter will create an “ewww” factor. Bathrooms should appear “clean enough to use”. Make everything sparkle, shine and look pristine.

 

8. Set The Dinner Table -- In formal dining rooms, put out chargers, china and a nice centerpiece. Use solid one or two color placemats and a plates for the breakfast nook, as well as a simple centerpiece. Avoid busy patterns.

9. Remember The Back Yard -- remember to stage the back yard too. Clean any toys and clutter, and mow and trim if needed. For patios and decks, plants and potted flowers add color. If there is a patio table set, dress it up with bright, plastic picnic ware. Also, take the cover off the BBQ and open the grill.

 

10. Curb Appeal Please -- Lastly, the front should look as clean as possible. The video tour begins in the front yard, which means things should look their best. Trimmed lawns, hedges and trees look best on camera. Add color with fresh flowers in the flower beds.

 

With these simple staging techniques, your home will look its absolute best on camera and off.

 

 

Pronoya Video is a video production company focused on creating quality, high definition video tours for real estate at the lowest possible price for you. Find out more about how a Pronoya HD Video Tour can help you.

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