Nicole Oertel
When we are preparing to photograph a home prior to listing it for sale, one of the very first things I do is work on curating fresh plants and flowers to enhance the space. And yes, I leave them for the owner to keep! One of the biggest reasons I do this is because the first experience a potential buyer will ever have of your home is through your online photos. But, let me back it up for a minute! Before I curate plants and flowers for my sellers, I work to reduce the number of items in the space. This includes photos on the wall, rugs that may be covering hardwood floors, and paintings. Potential buyers want to envision themselves living in this space, so removing these items creates more of a “blank canvas” that allows their imagination to linger while clicking through the photos of your listing.
So why would we strip all the details away only to add in plants and flowers? Well, let me be clear on one detail. Plants and flowers are meant to enhance in a simplistic way! They should highlight a specific area or corner of your home, without taking it over or detracting from it. It takes a skilled hand to know when less is more and more is more!
Although using plants and flowers in your space is a way to stage your home for photos, they still add a personalized touch without any added decor that could be distracting. This occurs without that overly staged look that can drive away potential buyers. Above all, our goal is to make your home look lived in, or livable, and plants and flowers are a great way to add in that liveliness and fresh feeling. It’s also been shown that plants and flowers provide a calming effect, and evoke the feeling of a healthy and happy home.
My personal approach to using plants and flowers to enhance your home for your listing photos is to keep it neutral. If I do use color, I typically go for a very light touch of blue. My absolute favorite go-to florals for this process are white hydrangeas and white roses! If needed, I also like to add in a pop of vibrant color. However, this relies specifically on the home, or the current season! For example, if we are listing your home in the fall, creamy orange florals or ombre orange, yellow and reds are a great way to catch the eye of potential buyers who are scrolling through your listing online. Drawing inspiration from the season is a great way to immerse buyers in the “looking” process and pique their curiosity!
Another way I like to incorporate a bit of color, that works to enhance without detracting, is with statement pieces. My go-to for this strategy is a single magenta rose in a vase to accent your powder room's new stone! Speaking of powder rooms and bathrooms, another great way to enhance that space with fresh plants is by using tropical varieties! Tropical plants just love the steam and warmth from a shower. So adding them to a bathroom where they can grow and flourish makes all the difference.
Now that I’ve touched on my process for refreshing and enhancing the inside of your home with flowers and plants, what about the outside? The outside of your home, especially your entryway or front doorstep is just as important when it comes to preparing for your listing photos! Your front doorstep should be inviting and welcoming. It should say “Come in and stay awhile”. You want to portray your home as cozy and warm, again, all without going over the top! The bigger landscaping projects should be done ahead of time. But if you need a breakdown of when you should start landscaping, ahead of listing your home for sale, this breakdown by season will help you! Once that’s complete, my job is to come in and see how we can further prepare your home for listing photos by enhancing your entryway. I love working with rich greenery in this area of the home. Creating "curb appeal" that is fresh and elevated. For more details on our process of preparing your home to list it for sale, you can use this link to contact us directly.
