Interested in Your Own Personally Branded Magazine? Click Here!

Want to customize this content for your business?

Learn More

Categories

  • Home
  • Decor
  • Real Estate
  • Life & Culture
  • Food & Recipes
  • Holiday & Entertaining

  • Printables
  • Videos


General

  • About the Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Copyright
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Careers


Editorial

  • Editorial Calendar
  • Issue Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Pitch an Idea

American Lifestyle Magazine Logo
  • Home
  • Decor
  • Real Estate
  • Life & Culture
  • Food & Recipes
  • Holiday & Entertaining
  • Search
  • Follow
  • 0 Heart
  • |
  • Food & Recipes Categories
    • All Recipes (721)
    • Appetizers (136)
    • Breakfast (56)
    • Cooking Tips (41)
    • Desserts (202)
    • Dinner (214)
    • Drinks (59)
    • Gluten Free (9)
    • Healthy (60)
    • Quick & Easy (55)
    • Vegan (28)
    • Vegetarian (43)
spring-cocktail
All Recipes | Apr 16, 2021

Spring Cocktails—Shaken Not Stirred

  • Holiday & Entertaining Categories
    • Christmas (69)
    • Easter (14)
    • Entertaining (37)
    • Father’s Day (5)
    • Halloween (28)
    • Hanukkah (11)
    • July 4th (32)
    • Mother’s Day (8)
    • New Year’s (18)
    • St. Patrick's Day (11)
    • Thanksgiving (30)
    • Valentine’s Day (5)
easter-tradition
Easter | Apr 2, 2021

Easy Easter Traditions

  • Decor Categories
    • Crafts & DIY Projects (271)
    • Curb Appeal (4)
    • Decorate (52)
    • Interior Design (61)
clare paints
Editorial | Apr 16, 2021

True Colors

Crafts & DIY Projects | Apr 15, 2021

Pretty Painted House Numbers

craft supplies
Crafts & DIY Projects | Apr 6, 2021

The Best Items for Your Dollar Store DIY List

  • Real Estate Categories
    • Buying & Selling (140)
    • Home Trends (17)
    • Staging (11)
    • Your First House (13)
Your First House | Apr 16, 2021

9 Things To Consider Before (and During) the Mortgage Application

Open House Card
Buying & Selling | Apr 15, 2021

Proper Etiquette When Going to an Open House

Golf Course
Buying & Selling | Apr 14, 2021

The Pros and Cons of Living Next to a Golf Course

  • Life & Culture Categories
    • Editorial (215)
    • Family & Pets (178)
    • Finances (21)
    • Health (147)
    • Travel (207)
clare paints
Editorial | Apr 16, 2021

True Colors

axis dance company
Editorial | Apr 16, 2021

The Axis of Dance and Disability

Family & Pets | Apr 13, 2021

A Taste of the Outdoors for Indoor Pets

  • Home Categories
    • Cleaning (34)
    • Organizing (37)
    • Home Improvement (100)
    • Outdoors & Gardening (70)
window-boxes
Outdoors & Gardening | Apr 14, 2021

DIY Window Box Ideas to Increase Curb Appeal

Young boy watering plants with watering can
Outdoors & Gardening | Apr 2, 2021

Growing Little Gardeners

kitchen
Home Improvement | Mar 30, 2021

Your Guide to A Budget DIY Kitchen Remodel

Follow us on social media today!

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

7 Home Staging Tips for Virtual Tours

Buying & Selling | By Christy Murdock Edgar | 0 Likes
SHARE
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn More

In order to comply with COVID-19-related stay-at-home orders and to minimize contact, many real estate agents and homeowners are finding themselves hosting virtual tours. Whether it’s a home tour recorded for a website, a Facebook Live virtual open house, or a FaceTime video stream, virtual tours provide the opportunity to share your home with potential buyers and buyer agents throughout your market.

How can you make your home look its best for a virtual tour? As it turns out, many of the same things that you’ve probably already been doing still apply. However, there are a few things to keep in mind and to discuss with your real estate agent before filming begins. These tips will help you ensure that your home shows its best and that buyers get everything they’re looking for from your tour.

brown front door with white siding and black iron gate

Start at the front door.

The best virtual tour should feel like an in-person tour, beginning at the entrance to your home. If, like many homeowners, you commonly enter through a side or garage entrance, take a moment to walk through the front door. This is your chance to make sure that the first impression is a great one.

Dust off your front door, clean the light fixtures, and make sure everything looks its best. If you’ve been doing some quarantine gardening, consider putting a pretty plant or pot of flowers at the entrance, as well.

Take decluttering seriously.

Your listing agent may have already talked to you about decluttering your home, but this becomes even more important when it’s time to get your space camera-ready. Viewed through a live stream or video, everything tends to look a bit more jumbled and a little less thoughtful.

The more you can reduce clutter and emphasize clean lines and orderly spaces, the better your home will show. This is especially important in the kitchen and bathrooms, where countertops should be left as clear as possible. Use this opportunity to pack away books and knickknacks throughout the house for a more minimalist, streamlined look on screen.

Show hidden spaces.

You may not like thinking about the places that people look when they’re on a home tour, but when they’re buying a home they want to see it all. Inside closets, inside cabinets, even inside the refrigerator — it’s all fair game. In order to help people make a fair determination about your home, you’ll have to allow them the opportunity to peek into those spaces, as well.

Dust the cobwebs out of your crawl space and clean out the medicine cabinet so that your virtual visitors can see inside. Neatly arrange your kitchen and bathroom cabinets for inspection so that buyers can see how much room they have to work with.

backyard garden with green and pink flowers

Don’t forget the view.

On a home tour, people like to see the view from the kitchen window or the owner’s suite. Give them the same opportunity on a virtual tour. Be sure to clean your window coverings so that there’s not a cloud of dust when they are moved. Alternatively, consider opening them wide so that your agent can get a great shot. Clean the windows and the window frames as well so that the view is picture-perfect.

Highlight outdoor spaces.

Wherever you live, outdoor spaces are a major selling point. Whether you have a fenced backyard that’s perfect for kids and pets or an elegant outdoor dining room and summer kitchen, you’ll want to make your outdoor spaces look their best.

Clear away debris, clean off furniture, and get your outdoor space looking shipshape before your virtual tour. Consider asking your agent to film during a time of day when the light is particularly flattering from your deck or terrace or to show off your beautiful sunset view.

white kitchen with island and wooden stools

Emphasize your home’s best features.

What made you fall in love with your home? A sweeping staircase? A fabulous gourmet kitchen? A charming sunroom? What space or feature do your visitors often complement? What does your listing agent say is particularly in-demand this year? Determine your home’s best feature, and then be sure to highlight it in the tour.

This is a great opportunity to show your home at its most beautiful and spend more time on the elements that sell. Don’t forget to turn on all of the overhead lights and lamps, even in the middle of the day. That way, viewers will be able to really see the space without shadows or shading.

Keep security in mind.

While you definitely want to share your space with buyers, be mindful of your personal property and safety. If you have a safe in your closet, cover it before filming the closet space. Don’t leave an elaborate jewelry box out on the dresser or leave jewelry out on a bedside table. Avoid showing expensive computer equipment, gun safes, or other items that might be tempting. This is especially important if your virtual home tour will be housed online for everyone to see.

Home security is particularly important for the popular 360° virtual tours that often accompany listings. Because the 3D cameras capture everything, they can inadvertently advertise your security system setup, entrances and exits, and expensive personal property to prying eyes.

Virtual tours are an invaluable way to keep you and your home safe during the COVID-19 shutdown. They allow you to reach out and nurture the interest of the most enthusiastic buyers in your market. By taking some time to give your home a little extra TLC before your virtual tour or open house, you give it a leg up on the local competition and get closer to sold.

9643 Views

This article is tagged in:

FinanceFinancial AdviceHome AdviceHome BuyingHome LoanReal EstateReal Estate AgentRefinancingVirtual Tour

Related Posts

Real Estate | Apr 16, 2021

9 Things To Consider Before (and During) the Mortgage Application

Open House Card
Real Estate | Apr 15, 2021

Proper Etiquette When Going to an Open House

Golf Course
Real Estate | Apr 14, 2021

The Pros and Cons of Living Next to a Golf Course

house with sunset
Real Estate | Apr 13, 2021

Should You Buy or Build a Home?

family-budget
Life & Culture | Apr 8, 2021

Budgeting Tips for a Larger Purchase

Popular Posts

can-planters-card
Staying Home | Mar 25, 2020

Make Your Own Can Planters

Staying Home | Jun 24, 2020

Tips for Redesigning Your Patio Space

12-Direct | Feb 17, 2020

Trash vs. Recycle: Do You Know When to Trash it?

Real Estate | Dec 14, 2017

House Selling Checklist

home office with white furniture
Life & Culture | Mar 30, 2020

Everyone Is Working From Home—Here’s How to Do It Effectively


You may also like:

can-planters-card
Crafts & DIY Projects | Mar 25, 2020

Make Your Own Can Planters

Outdoors & Gardening | Jun 24, 2020

Tips for Redesigning Your Patio Space

Health | Feb 17, 2020

Trash vs. Recycle: Do You Know When to Trash it?

Buying & Selling | Dec 14, 2017

House Selling Checklist

home office with white furniture
Health | Mar 30, 2020

Everyone Is Working From Home—Here’s How to Do It Effectively

decorating-basics
Interior Design | Jun 9, 2020

These Tips Are Your North Star For Home Decorating

easy-weekend-projects-
Home Improvement | Jul 30, 2020

Sell Faster with These Small Projects

Share on Social Media

Our mission is to deliver entertainment that inspires and motivates our readers, encouraging them to follow their passions as they explore new horizons.

© 2021 American Lifestyle Magazine

General
  • About the Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Copyright
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Careers
Editorial
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Issue Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Pitch an Idea
Categories
  • Home
  • Decor
  • Real Estate
  • Life & Culture
  • Food & Recipes
  • Holiday & Entertaining
Follow Us
Facebook Pinterest Instagram Youtube

Customize this content for your business!

Learn More

,