So I get hired by a young couple with a baby to shoot a virtual tour for them. They're looking to move out of state, back home to be closer to their family. They both work so, they tell me that it's ok to go ahead and shoot while they're not there and explain where to find the key. So, I get there and enter the home.....OH MY GOODNESS WHAT A MESS!!
Baby clutter everywhere!! Toys, stroller, baby chair, etc. Then, up on the counters and tables, there was enough paper work and receipts to bring the Pentagon to it's knees.
As I stood there in amazement, with my mouth wide open in disgust, it suddenly occurred to me what an old professor once said. "If you don't take the time to think about it, sometimes, you'll miss the obvious". I can't even begin to imagine how hectic it must be for this young couple. Both working two jobs and taking care of a baby.
I'm sure that if I had shot the tour "as is" which is stipulated in my contract, they would have noticed the mess and realized what they should have done. So, I took mercy on them, held my breath and jumped in.
I proceeded to move the clutter from room to room as I shot each one. It took me twice as long to shoot but in the end, tour builder 4.0 VR Software made up for some time and it ended up being a very nice looking tour. One that they were absolutely ecstatic with!! They were amazed at how I could make the house look so much better in a virtual tour. I think they thought that I used Photoshop to remove the mess!??
Anyway, on the drive home, I decided that this would never happen to me again.
I created a check list. A few simple tips that I send to my clients ahead of time to ensure a "better virtual tour".
1) Make sure that each room is free of clutter. A virtual tour always looks better when the home looks "neat and clean"
2) Try to remove any unnecessary furniture as well. Sometimes there are just a few too many chairs and each room will look better if it seems "roomier".
3) Keep the family pictures down to a minimum. Your prospective buyer would like to imagine their own family living there as they view your home. Don't take that away from them.
4) We want the home to be as "bright" as possible. So, make sure that all the blinds are open and all lights on.
5) Leave a batch of chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen for the photographer. This, of course, has nothing to do with the virtual tour itself. I just like chocolate chip cookies :)
I've sent this list to my last 2 clients and I can't tell you how much smoother each shoot went. They both thanked me for the tips and for taking the time to ensure that they had the best virtual tour possible. (plus the cookies were great!!)
Hope this helps. Now I'm off to the gym to work off those cookies. I have another shoot tomorrow and she said something about oatmeal chocolate chip...mmmmmmm.
Mike Vega
Sarasota Virtual Tours
www.virtualtoursarasota.com
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