The 10 photos that sell a property

Order matters more than quantity

The first photo decides whether someone clicks at all. Lead with the strongest exterior or the widest living space, never with a hallway, a bathroom or a floor plan. After that, walk the buyer through the home the way you would in person: living space, kitchen, bedrooms, bathroom, outdoor space, and the plan at the end.

The set

1. 1The facade

   This is the thumbnail in the search results, so it does most of the work.

   Shoot from a slight angle instead of straight on, so the building gets depth. Wait for light on the front rather than against it. Move the bins and park your car somewhere else.

2. 2The living room, widest angle

   Buyers judge the whole home by this one room.

   Stand in a corner and shoot towards the largest wall. Keep the camera at chest height, not eye height, so the ceiling does not swallow the frame. Open the curtains fully.

3. 3The living room, second angle

   One angle always hides something; the second one shows how the space connects.

   Shoot from the opposite corner so a viewer can mentally join the two. Include a doorway or passage, that is what makes a floor plan click.

4. 4The kitchen

   After the living room this is the room that most often decides a viewing.

   Clear the worktops completely, including the dish rack and the kettle. Shoot along the units rather than head on, so you see depth instead of a flat wall.

5. 5The main bedroom

   It shows whether a real bed actually fits, which floor plans never convincingly prove.

   Make the bed and use plain linen. Shoot from the doorway so the room reads at its longest.

6. 6The second bedroom or study

   This is where buyers with children or a home office decide.

   Show the room in the use it is best suited for, and keep it honest. A cramped room photographed from the floor upwards is the fastest way to annoy someone at the viewing.

7. 7The bathroom

   Skipping it makes people assume you are hiding something.

   Remove all toiletries and towels that are in use. Watch the mirror: your own reflection is the most common mistake in listing photos.

8. 8The balcony or the view

   In Bulgarian city listings this is often the real selling point.

   Shoot from inside outwards so both the balcony and what you see from it are in one frame. Do this at a time of day when the light is on that side.

9. 9Outdoor space, parking or garage

   It answers the question that otherwise ends up in the first phone call.

   Show the boundary of the plot, not just a patch of grass. With parking, make clear whether it belongs to the property or is public.

10. 10The floor plan

    It turns ten separate rooms into one home in the viewer's head.

    Put it last, never first. A plan as the opening image loses clicks, because a thumbnail of a drawing tells a scrolling buyer nothing.

Three mistakes that cost viewings

• Twenty photos of which twelve are the same living room. A viewer stops scrolling long before the garden appears.
• Dark photos of a bright home. Underexposure reads as neglect, even when the property is fine.
• Photos that promise more than the home delivers. You win the click and lose the viewing, and you will hear about it.