Sparksals, is there some reason for all the foliage in the front of your house? It looks like you are selling a garage.

You have a nice backyard. The shadows are a bit distracting. I wouldn't use any of those photos. I'd retake when the shadows were not so prominent.

Even though your poochie is adorable, I'd keep him out of the pictures. You may want to remove food and water bowls before taking pictures.

1116 was your best bedroom shop - it showed how much furniture could fit in, and the slider to go out back

1114 - if you drew back the curtain, that could be a good shot of the tub

1104 was a good living room shot, but 1098 showed the fireplace off and would be a good choice

1093 if the shot were brighter would be good. In 1094 the shot was even darker but your camera flashed in the window. 1091 makes it look like a galley kitchen

Xamsx - I knew I'd get honest answers here! LOL

I tried to take photos of the front at as many angles as possible. The house came with all that foliage and we like it because of the privacy. I don't know if you've ever tried to remove saguaros and prickly pear cacti, it's not easy. I thought the foliage would be a plus, but I can see where it looks like all garage. Is there any photos that minimizes the foliage but shows enough of the house? Removing the foliage is not an option, so angle will have to be the solution.

good tip on the shadows in the backyard. I retook photos in the back without the shadows and will upload later.

1104 and 1098 are two seaparate rooms. 1104 is the living room, 1098 is the Family room. I take it, you think to use both?

I can lighten up the kitchen shots. Can't help the galley kitchen as that's what it is, but it is wider than it appears in photos. I was hoping to show the space in terms of counter/cupboards and room for nice size table, chairs, upright freezer and fridge.

I also retook the bathroom shot with curtain turned to the side and you are very right - so much better.

Thanks for the poochie tip. You get used to them just being "there" and I didn't notice he was in the photos. I'm sure a potential buyer would!

104 and 1098 are two seaparate rooms. 1104 is the living room, 1098 is the Family room. I take it, you think to use both?

Yes, I could tell they were different rooms, I just didn't know if you wanted two living area photos. Personally, I'd use them both. Hopefully others will have opinions too.

Yes, I do want two living area photos since they are separate rooms. I posted on another website and 1098 is an overwhelming yes!

I'm uploading retakes right now. I got good shots of the back and front sans trees. I may need to use one of the entire front and then another showing a longshot of the front patio behind the trees.

Here's a link to the retakes of the front without so many trees, back without shadows, master tub with curtain pulled back and a very nice photo of the eating area that shows the great view of the backyard.

Here is a link that might be useful: Retakes

The tub looks neat. Is there a way to get a tighter shot?

The problem with the eating photo is the camera flash reflected in the window. Can you edit it out?

1185 is a nice picture :-)

I'm sure many will like 1199 for the front of the house. I actually like 1198 but I'm not sure if you have any "rules" on your mls regarding a clear shot of the front of the house.

No way to get a tighter shot of the tub. The whole room is an odd shape.

I tried to edit the flash in that pic and I don't have the proper software to do it.

What do you mean by rules for a clear shot for front of house?

1098 is a great picture. The update dining room pic is also much better - mainly because the light is on in it. I would try and take it so that you avoid getting the fridge in the photo. Try taking all your photos with the lights on. It makes a huge difference.

1198 for the front photo. Looks inviting. I actually also like 1161.

1178 is a cute 'detail' shot.

I would rather see the backyard with some sun on it. 1134 and 1128 are the best.

1116 is a good bedroom shot - nice to be able to see the window.

1104 is the best living room shot - I like 1103 too, but not as one of the main pics. If you have room for lots of photos, include it. If you are limited, select something else.

The kitchen looks best in the photos with the table at the end - but you need to turn on the lights. I don't like the kitchen photos taken in the other direction (like 1091).

Good luck!

Hoboken - thanks for the response!

Because I wanted to get on the MLS before the weekend, I chose some photos after getting feedback here and on a couple other boards. I can certainly change a couple and I think I will definitely change the kitchen shot tomorrow.

I've only got room for 10, so I chose

1198 front of house
1113 masterbath
1193 mastertub
1189 Kitchen/eating area with view to backyard - I will need to retake this one in the AM
1090 Kitchen
1096 Family room with flow to eating area/kitchen and windows
1098 Family room with Fireplace
1116 Masterbed
1173 Backyard with pond
1103 LR with door closed

Great pictures. Looks like you have a really nice house. What town are you in and what is the price? (It's a long shot but my aunt is looking to move from cold/dreary Oregon coast)

Here are the 10 shots I like best. I would stay away from what appears to be too much plantings (which I'm sure is paradise-like in person!) but looks jungle like in a photo.

1) I prefer 1146 for the whole view of the house
2) 1198 Then your front cactus one.
(NOT your living room one - looks small)
3) 1109
4) Then your green chair/dining/backyard one
5) 1098 Your fireplace one
6) 1090 Your kitchen
7) 1189 - Your breakfast room
(NOT your tub one)
8) Your vanity/toilet closet
(NOT your bedroom one)
9) 1118

10. Last view 1129 for backyard

Your house looks lovely, very clean, and good karma. You are sure to sell.

sparksals: What do you mean by rules for a clear shot for front of house?

In my area of NYS an unobstructed view of the front of the house is required for all mls listings. You don't have to have any other picture, but you must have that. I'm not sure how picky other areas are.

He put in fresh batteries, it powered on, but as soon as he took a photo, it turned off. I gave him some fresh batteries we had, same problem. To his credit, he was horribly embarrassed, but hey, these things happen.

He didn't happen to have a Nikon 990 did he? I have the same problem; need to send it in for repair. It's the best camera for flower shots.

A few things that I see...

the table by the color block rug, do you have something to put on it perhaps a candy dish or the book under it? My eye is drawn to the large spot on it. I just painted a dresser for the same reason.

The shower, take the stuff out of there for the photo, same for the vanity. The shelf on the left, can you take that down for the picture?

Love your bedroom set! Almost bought that comforter set for my dad.

Don't care for the last shot - try to retake when the sun is down.

Your house looks great! I love the leaves behind the couch, that came out really well. I wasn't sure if I'd like it but do!

I would remove all personal toiletries from the bathroom and retake those two photos.

I would remove all personal toiletries from the bathroom and retake those two photos.

Also, remove the calendar from the wall near the toilet. Why do you need to know what day it is while you are in there? lol

I would also remove the little tchotchkes from your fireplace mantel. Add something colorful onto the coffee table in that same room to cover up what look like water rings on the table. Get a pretty runner and a nice plant. People will judge your house on the condition of your furniture. Definitely DON'T use the picture of the family room with the table in the foreground.

Also take a good look at your backyard photo. I see some debris on the left side next to the rocks. You can crop the picture or clean the area and retake. Actually cropping would probably be best. Like this:

{{!gwi}}

Rose, no it wasn't a Nikon, but an HP.

The table in the FR - I completely forgot about that spot and considered removing it altogether, but I need a place for remotes etc. I will be doing reshots today and if I can get the same angle sans table, I will do so.

Yea, I can take down the shelf and clear out the tub. I've had mixed messages on this one. Some have said the masterbath looks sterile! lol That's why I left them in.

The last shot, are you talking about the little bit of sun in the far end of the yard. I was pushing it by getting that photo then as it was about to get dark. Any other time of day I get the shadows that were so distracting in the initial set of pics.

Got the bedroom set from Costco.com a few months ago. It's even nicer in person! I still had the same bedroom suite from when I was a teenager and thought it was high time I got a grown up set! We love it. The nightstands even have little lights on the bottom to give a dim lighted path and inside the drawers are phone and electrical outlets so there's not tonnes of cords hanging from the back of the stand. Same with the Armoire - cable, phone and electrical outlet inside.

Love my Calvin Klein Bamboo flowers. Since we got a new bedroom suite, I couldn't use old ratty bedding and I got it all on sale. Spent an arm and a leg, but this should last us a long time. Even dh likes it because it's not too feminine.

I love the maple left pic too. It really coordinates well with the furniture and reminds me of home. Funny, a photographer from Minnesota did it and I bought it at the Tucson Street fair. It's actually hung upside down because I didn't like the big green maple leaf in the center hanging down, so we reversed it.

time2sell - We're in Tucson, AZ, $253,500.

I just checked the mls and we're not on it yet. I also noticed curry house is not listed anymore. Will have to get my realtor to check if it's pending or if they took it off the market.

xamsx - that's interesting. I checked a few MLS photos and it looks like there's a shebang of front pics, so it looks like the rule isn't in place here.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Retreat Bedroom Collection

terriks - I do have a runner that I can put on it. Thanks for that tip. That is the only piece of furniture in the house that's not in the greatest shape.

I will clean the area and retake the BY photo as I want to show the BBQ area in the far corner of the yard. We used to keep the BBQ on the patio and it made a huge difference moving it there which made our patio area feel so much bigger and less cluttered.

What a beautiful home. I agree with the idea of taking the misc. items out of the bath and vanity, I was also thinking you could put a vase or candles in the right corner of the tub and I think you have a maroon rug draped over the tub and that may look nicer on the floor or just removed. I would also try pushing the shower curtain to the left. For the outdoor pictures you may want to try to use a fill flash (using a flash outside even if it's sunny) this should eliminate the shadows and give it a professional look, oh and shoot when the sun is behind your subject. I hope I have helped.

I think the pictures you have chosen look good except I agree that you need to remove everything from the tub and under the tub window. Add one or two decorative items to the corner of the tub. Remove the burgandy mat. Remove the calender and almost everything from the shelf. You can leave an attractive item or two on it.

A table runner is a great idea for the coffee table.

Thanks for the link, will have to take a ride to Costco to see if they stock it. I was furniture shopping yesterday, went to 3 places and didn't see a thing. I went to buy a dining table and to look at bedroom sets.

If you have Marshalls, TJ Max, they should have a nice bath set (crystals, soaps) that you can use for the tub & counter area.

With the last shot, yes, you can see the sun's ray coming down. When I shoot the front of my house, I have to do it between 2 and 6 for this reason so that the sun is behind me.

Rose - I think this set is only available online. Also, we got it when it was on sale and saved a couple thousand on it. You may want to watch for their sales. I think we got everything - bedframe, two night tables, dresser/mirror, armoire and gentleman's chest for under $5K delivered and installed.

It's amazing after all this research and planning I've done, that I've forgotten or not thought of the little things. My realtor told me today that my pooch is in one of the FR photos and I didn't notice. I have to put the photos up for now. It should be on MLS tonight or first thing Sat AM. I was really hoping for today, but he had some other clients to tend to earlier in the day. No biggy.

I noticed the dog in the window, but he was just too cute to suggest that you retake the picture.

With that nice deep shelf behind your tub you can create a real spa look with some candles and pretty bath accessories. I would also push the shower curtain over to the left, covering about a quarter or third of the tub, or better yet tied back. I agree that the rug would look better on the floor. You don't need to take the shelf down that has all of your toiletries on it. Just put something pretty on it. A plant and a few rolled up hand towels tied with a pretty ribbon would be nice. Then put something a little taller, maybe some candles set on a plate with some pretty stones, between the two sinks.

Rose - I think this set is only available online. Also, we got it when it was on sale and saved a couple thousand on it. You may want to watch for their sales. I think we got everything - bedframe, two night tables, dresser/mirror, armoire and gentleman's chest for under $5K delivered and installed.

Good price! I'd really love to see it in person. Not sure if I could order something like that online without touching it 1st lol

It's amazing after all this research and planning I've done, that I've forgotten or not thought of the little things. My realtor told me today that my pooch is in one of the FR photos and I didn't notice.

So much easier being on this end then your end lol You have no clue how many times I had to retake pictures because I forgot to do stuff. I have to take curtains down from the bay window to take the outside picture because the curtains stand out too much. I don't know how agents just take the pictures and go.

It should be on MLS tonight or first thing Sat AM. I was really hoping for today, but he had some other clients to tend to earlier in the day. No biggy

How's it coming? Did they get put up yet?

You'll have to update your MIL's post. Been thinking about her wondering how it's going.

We haven't offered an incentive yet. We've only been on the market for two weeks, but it is in the back of my mind. I don't want to chase the market down for months, so we feel that to get lookers, we need to sweeten the pot for the realtor. If we do it, we will offer $1-2K over the share of the 6% commission.

Sorry to read that it's slow going. I see you've had a price change, has that made a difference?

Nope - The price drop went on the MLS on Monday or Tuesday. Still no lookers, although RE had an open house on Saturday and only one couple showed. Not even nosy neighbours. They were serious buyers as they are looking to downsize closer to their DD who lives in this area.

I went to an OH at a house in my area on Saturday. It's on a huge lot, the house is 1440 sq. ft., same floorplan as ours, but without the fireplace and living room. They've had 4 OH's and only 4 lookers TOTAL. Their price/sq. ft is $155, ours is $140. They've also updated the interior similarly to us, but we have more space.

When I looked at that house, it was sweltering hot. We're mid summer here in AZ and they only have an evap which does nothing in monsoon season. We have AC and Evap.

It's just a common thing here right now - no one is getting lookers. So, dh and I discussed it last night and if nothing happens after Labour Day, we will offer the incentive to get lookers. We just dont' want to be in a position of chasing down the market and having to pay rent in Minneapolis and the mortgage here. It would cost less for us to pay an incentive than it would to pay for sustaining two residences.

BTW, MIL's house closed and she's moved into her MD condo. I'm a bit ticked at her right now because she sent out this email praising and thanking everyone by name who helped her with the move. However, she never mentioned all the help I gave her with selling her house, negotiating the offers etc. Same old story over and over and over again. *sigh*

BTW, here's a link to our listing:

Here is a link that might be useful: House Listing

How did you find the agent? After reading the pros about your place vs the one you walked, I'd change the description. Having an AC unit is a BIG plus!

I don't know what the agent would need to do to make the realtor.com ad better; maybe one of the agents here can give you some tips to pass on to him? If he knows where it takes the description from, he can make it better then what it is. I'd like to see you sell this place and move on. Every bit of advertising helps. From doing a little looking, he would need to go here to sign up. It looks like it's free. IDK

Sorry to hear about the MIL. I know how much that can hurt. I don't have a relationship with mine, not that I haven't tried. I do have one with her mother lol

Keep your chin up. You'll eventually get the last laugh. I truly believe in karma.

I've known him for awhile. He got good reviews from other people who have used him. I asked him today to add AC and EVAP to the description as well as new ductwork. That other house was stifling as evap is useless during monsoon season.

I don't think there's anything he can do to make the realtor dot com listing better. I knew he didn't have the premium package and I was fine with that. I'm told that they can't do anything about that as it's loaded from the MLS.

Yeah, I'm a bit ticked at my MIL. Same crap, different pile. Funny, she was calling me everyday while her house was for sale and I helped her with everything. She offered me St. Joseph and I told her I'd let her know on that - I'm not superstitious or religious. Because we haven't had any showings, I called and left a message on her cellphone to send St. Joseph. LOL I gotta try anything, ya know?? Whaddaya know, no return phone call. Nice. I feel kind of like the school kid who did all the nice things to make a friend and then it turns out they were only using you.