Special offer

Take outdoor photographs of your property throughout the year.

By
Real Estate Agent with United Country Ponderosa Realty, Red Feather Lakes, Colorado

Take outdoor photographs of your property throughout the year.

pasque flowerBrian Madigan, from Toronto, ON posted about this same topic last month.  Oddly enough, I had this same conversation with an associate just days before I read his post.  I guess great minds think alike!  

We don't have magnolias blooming in the Red Feather /Livermore area like Brian does, in fact not much is blooming right now, but it will.

Many photos we post as listing agents have golden grasses or snow.  

Having your photographs of different seasons will help a buyer imagine living there in summer, even when the property is listed in January.

Listing photos of a white frozen lake are not nearly as beautiful as blue open water; if you have lakefront property, snap a few photos throughout the year, you'll be glad you did.

Even if you aren't planning on selling your home right away, it's a good idea to get out in the different seasons and take pictures around your property.  

Update your photos each year, as trees grow or you make changes to your landscape.   

Think about the beauty in your outside spaces and capture them.  Lovely green aspen, wildflowers, green grass....the green season is coming (that is, after the next forecasted snow tomorrow!)

Get out there with your digital camera and take some photos. Like Brian said, it will make you money later on!

If you need any help with your Red Feather Lakes or Livermore photos, email me, I'd be happy to help.

*************************************************************************************

Mary Douglas, your Mountain Broker-Associate and REALTOR®

United Country  Ponderosa Realty, Red Feather Lakes, CO

www.marydouglas-redfeatherlakes.com ---800-531-2195

"A Day in the Mountains will always soothe your city soul"

The information contained in Mary's blog is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed, and the opinions and    views expressed in these articles are solely those of the author.

_________________________________________

avoid foreclosure: call the Colorado Foreclosure Hotline 1-877-601-HOPE

HOTLINE WEBSITE: ColoradoForeclosureHotline.org

Email me with any questions about Red Feather Lakes or Livermore, Colorado property.

Posted by

Website: www.marydouglas-redfeatherlakes.net

 

 Dear Readers, who are not members of Active Rain. If this post does not accept outside comments, it is only to avoid unwanted spam -

Please feel free to email me any time, I appreciate hearing from you!

 

Would you like to know more about the Livermore/Red Feather Lakes area?  Want more exposure for your home or property?  More exposure for your business or event? Let me know, I'm always looking for blog topics and I love to showcase my listings on Active Rain!

 

Browse through all the Colorado listings or focus in on some wonderful mountain properties in Livermore or Red Feather Lakes!  

 

I'd appreciate the opportunity to work with you - Don't forget to ask for Mary!

                                

Donate to the American Red Cross to help those in need. The Red Cross helped so many in Colorado that were affected by wildfires and floods.

    

Comments (38)

Maria Morton
Platinum Realty - Kansas City, MO
Kansas City Real Estate 816-560-3758

Mary, yesterday I saw a house listed in MLS with photos from all four seasons. It caught my attention because it is unusual to see the red & yellow foliage, the snow, the daffodils, and then the roses all on the same listing.

May 11, 2010 02:55 AM
Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker
Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA
Put 40 years of experience to work for you

Back in the "old" days, we used to set out photo books of the home taken at various times of the year for our open houses. But I can see how seasonal photos would help to sell a home in MLS. I mean, say you live somewhere where it snows, like you, Mary, in Feather Lakes. If you put a home on the market in February, the MLS photos are probably of a home surrounded by snow. Come May, if that home hasn't sold, it might be a good idea to update those photos so the listing won't look dated.

May 11, 2010 03:08 AM
C. Bartch
Newark, OH

This is a fabulous idea Mary, especially when a seller has a beautiful floral garden. Just imagine the blue hydrangeas, yellow yarrow, fragrant jasmine and such jumping through the camera!

Not to mention a yummy vegetable garden too!

May 11, 2010 03:42 AM
Russell Lewis
Realty Austin, Austin Texas Real Estate - Austin, TX
Broker,CLHMS,GRI

Mary, That is a great idea if you get the chance. I also saw a post about this where the pictures werer taken during a blizzard but the agent was marketing the home in the spring. Did not make sense at all!

May 11, 2010 03:51 AM
Gerry Khatchikian
Red Lodge, MT
ASA, TRC, SFR

Mary,

That is some very great advice!   I love the photo of the Pasque flower.   They must have started to bloom in Red Feather Lakes since my post with the same featured flower.  :)

Now, could someone please make the snow disappear in Red Lodge so that I can once again take photos of the green grass and those beautiful wild flowers!

May 11, 2010 05:34 AM
Gerry Khatchikian
Red Lodge, MT
ASA, TRC, SFR

One more note:

I smiled when I saw your reply comment to Myrl (comment #5).  I had the same first thought when I read your post.  Hopefully, the photos from the other 3 seasons (other the one at the time of the listing) can be obtained from the Seller (it would be easy to scan and upload to the MLS). 

May 11, 2010 05:38 AM
Debbie Walsh
SHAHAR Management - Middletown, NY
Hudson Valley NY Real Estate 845.283-3036

Mary what a great idea!  From a marketing stand point I had never thought of this for my own home.

May 11, 2010 06:38 AM
Ann Allen Hoover
RE/MAX Advantage South - Hoover, AL
CDPE SRES ASP e-PRO Realtor - Homes for Sale - AL

Hi Mary!  Speaking of pretty photographs.....I love the little blue flowers!

May 11, 2010 08:39 AM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Of course I've also had to occassional seller who went OVERBOARD with photos of things they felt were important too.  But I love when they let me borrow and scan and give me permission to use the ones I want to use.

May 11, 2010 10:01 AM
Mary Douglas
United Country Ponderosa Realty, Red Feather Lakes, Colorado - Red Feather Lakes, CO
REALTOR, Red Feather Lakes, Colorado

Hi Toula, Digital photographs are just the best, aren't they?  Thank goodness we don't have to wait for film processing to post our listings!

 

Hi Maria, If it caught your attention, I think it could catch a buyers eye, too! It seems like it would have to be organized in a such a way that it wasn't confusing to look at though!

 

Hi Elizabeth, I like the idea of the "olden days" photo books too.  If it doesn't stop snowing here soon, none of the MLS snow photos will seem dated at all though! LOL!

 

Hi Cynthia, Just by your description I can imagine it!  It would really be eye catching in the off season I think!

 

Hi Russell,  Was it a spring blizzard, as in Colorado??  LOL!

 

Hi Gerry, The Pasque flowers finally bloomed, I saw them last week and snapped the photo.  I am soooo with you about the snow, it is really time for it to give way to green grass, wildflowers and beautiful listing photos again!

I agree, ideally the other 3 season photos would come from the seller when the property is listed, and sold long before the listing agent had to update for a new season!

 

Hi Debra,  I'm going to start this season on my house- since we take photos all the time, it shouldn't be too difficult.:-)

 

Hey Ann, thanks I like those little flowers- they are barely visible in the landscape you have to search for them!

 

Tammy, I can only imagine that some sellers have a grand collection, it might be hard to choose, but they could put them in the photo book at the house, too. :-)

 

 

May 11, 2010 11:51 AM
Lee & Carol Barbour, REALTORS
Murphy and Hayesville, NC; Hiawassee, Blairsville, Blue Ridge GA - Murphy, NC
Mountain Living Team in Murphy NC and North GA

Great idea Mary. We always ask Sellers if they have any photos they'd like for us to use, especially with our four seasons.

May 11, 2010 03:01 PM
Jennifer Fivelsdal
JFIVE Home Realty LLC | 845-758-6842|162 Deer Run Rd Red Hook NY 12571 - Rhinebeck, NY
Mid Hudson Valley real estate connection

Mary this is an excellent idea.  I have had listings where the home owner provided pictures of all the season and this is something buyers really love looking at.

May 11, 2010 04:28 PM
Caren Wallace
Premier Property Group LLC - Tualatin, OR
Portland Caren Real Estate

Mary, this is good advice for all owners, photos of your property in different seasons can come in handy! Gardeners do this to keep track of what flowers they have and get an idea of what will work in the next growing season!

As for snow pictures, it is time to change and get the green pictures in the MLS!

May 12, 2010 01:14 AM
Mary Douglas
United Country Ponderosa Realty, Red Feather Lakes, Colorado - Red Feather Lakes, CO
REALTOR, Red Feather Lakes, Colorado

Hi Carol, I'm sure you have found that helpful?  I don't want a buyer to have to imagine summer, if the seller has a summer photo to share.

 

Hi Jennifer,  I agree with you, I bet your buyer's love it!

 

Hi Caren, As for the snow pictures... if you listed your property today in the Red Feather Lakes area, there is over a foot of new snow!  Strange isn't it!!   This is the day those photos could really come in handy!  I like your idea for gardeners too, that would be helpful.

May 12, 2010 07:02 AM
Mike Jones
SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC (BK-0907366, NMLS 145171) - Tucson, AZ
Mike Jones NMLS 223495

Mary,

What a great thought.  Love that photo!

Mike in Tucson

May 12, 2010 05:31 PM
Linda Jandura
Raleigh Cary Realty - Apex, NC
Realtor, North Carolina Buyer & Seller Specialist

Great idea. The last pictures I took showed my trees only 3 feet high, now they're 30 feet tall.(things grow fast here in North Carolina).  Maybe I'll do that tomorrow, after my hubby mows the lawn of course!

May 14, 2010 01:00 AM
Mary Douglas
United Country Ponderosa Realty, Red Feather Lakes, Colorado - Red Feather Lakes, CO
REALTOR, Red Feather Lakes, Colorado

Hi Mike, Thanks for stopping in, the photo is one of only a few flowers we have....and it's the middle of MAY for Pete sakes!

 

Hi Linda, from 3 feet to 30 feet is a big difference LOL  I hope you got some great photos after the lawn was moved.  Since things grow fast, I'll bet lawn mowing  is done quite frequently during the summer months?

May 15, 2010 04:34 AM
Sandy Shores FL Realtor®, Melbourne Real Estate
M & M Realty of Brevard Inc. - Melbourne, FL
Brevard County Real Estate, Florida's Space Coast

Hi Mary, I love the idea of taking pictures all year long, so you can pass those pictures on to a buyer and show them what an area looks like at different times of the year - great idea!

May 19, 2010 09:56 AM
c m
Colorado Springs, CO

Great idea, maybe making a "four seasons" or even "two seasons" collage and posting with MLS photos.  I didn't know that THREE of the many very large trees in my yard were completely DEAD, when we bought our house, because the pics didn't show them, and they were not budded when we saw the house. (Fairly costly to remove after we moved in!) I am getting good shots of my BLOOMING and GREEN trees in case we sell in winter!

May 19, 2010 06:31 PM
Mary Douglas
United Country Ponderosa Realty, Red Feather Lakes, Colorado - Red Feather Lakes, CO
REALTOR, Red Feather Lakes, Colorado

Thanks Sandy, I sure think it would be helpful.  It's hard for some buyers to imagine it!

 

Hi Cheryl, To discover 3 dead trees must have been a shock, and yes, they are costly to remove.  It seems there should be recourse against the seller for something like that!  I think your photos will really help sell if you do sell in winter...and move...somewhere nice and warm I hope :-)

May 22, 2010 01:34 PM