Clean kitchen

How to prepare your home for a virtual video tour

A virtual property tour is now something buyers expect to find on a listing rather than a bonus, so it is worth half a day of preparation to make sure yours shows the house at its best. Not only does it provide convenience and flexibility for buyers by allowing them to experience properties from the comfort of their own sofa at any time, but working with your agent also presents several exciting options; such as live walkthroughs or open houses, pre-recorded video listings & more! Don’t settle just having still images – take advantage of modern technology and let potential buyers fully explore what you have on offer in whatever way they please.

Preparing your home for the cameras

Clean surfaces so they sparkle. To make your house look amazing on video, spend a little extra time focusing on cleaning techniques that show results visually. Here a few ideas for how to scrub, polish, and buffer surfaces so that they really shine up:

Make stainless steel look like new again

  • To remove dirt and dust, start with warm soapy water and wipe down the stainless steel appliance with a cloth. Use a dry towel to get rid of streaks and water marks.
  • Using a stainless steel polish solution or vinegar and olive oil — wipe it in the direction of the grain using a microfiber cloth.

Buff kitchen countertops

Clean all counter tops using soapy water. You can then use a polish to give it that extra shine. If you have granite or marble worktops then using a dedicated granite and marble cleaner will help with that beautiful shinny look.

Declutter the main areas of the home

Stage your interior with special care. Any clutter you see with the naked eye will look doubly cluttered in the camera lens.

  • Stainless steel cooker
  • Kitchen tap and shinny worktop
  • Tomatoes on window sill
  • Clean kitchen

Hints and Tips – a room by room guide

  • Stow away countertop appliances, like coffeemakers, toasters, and blenders unless they add to the interest in the room.
  • Wipe down all cupboard doors and clean floors

Additional considerations

  • Have fresh fruit on display in a beautiful fruit bowl.
  • Put a fresh bunch of flowers in the room.
  • Remove any family photos, memorabilia, trophies or knick knacks.
  • Consider removing a chair or two to clear visual clutter and open up the room.

Additional considerations

  • Put a decoration in the centre of coffee tables
  • Have a fresh bunch of flowers or plant in the room.
  • Remove all but your essential furniture
  • Clear off the tops and remove keepsakes or toiletries
  • Toys and clutter should be stored away.

Additional considerations

  • Mirrors are a great addition whilst making the room look bigger.
  • Additional decorative cushions on beds make them more appealing

If there are items you want to keep but don’t have room for, consider renting a a storage unit where you can hide away the items for the duration of your virtual video tour or photoshoot.

Make sure there’s a path for the walkthrough

The camera needs to move from room to room as seamlessly as possible in your video tour. 

Here are some spacing guidelines for the perfect path:

  • Keep 14-18 inches between sofas and coffee tables.
  • Seating, such as chairs or sofas, should be 30-36 inches apart where possible.
  • There should be 12-24 inches of space between rugs and the wall.

Tidy the jungle of cords coming from TVs and other entertainment systems. This small detail is just another way that visual clutter can overwhelm the frame. Use a cable wrap to bundle the cords together, or hide them using a wall mounted cable cover.

All of these details will ensure your viewers have the best possible experience during their virtual tour of your home. It is worth remembering they can pause, rewind and re-watch the tour. By setting the scene right it will help them envisage your home as their new home.

I have been creating property video tours in Hampshire, Surrey and the surrounding areas recently. A video tour is a great way to show off your home to buyers and reduce the number of physical viewings. Homebuyers can choose when to view your home which may be best for them at 7pm on a Sunday evening which would not suit a seller or their estate agent.

Find out more

LEARN MORE

Once the house is ready, there is more on what a tour actually involves on the virtual video tour page, including a First Person View drone tour if you want something that stops people scrolling. If you would like to book one, get in touch with the address and I will come back with a price.

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