Getting your home ready for photos

According to the National Association of Realtors, well over 90% of home buyers look on the

internet for homes. So, setting the stage in photos and making sure they are of good quality is

an important point in selling your home.
Think of the photos you see in magazines like Better Homes and Gardens. The displays of

photos in these magazines have simple style with clear horizontal surfaces with just a few

decorative items placed sparsely. As you see that image in your mind, now look around your

home to find what needs to be done. Less “stuff” in the photos will make the rooms look bigger.

Clear all unnecessary objects from the kitchen countertops, especially bright colored items.

Don’t forget the paper towels, soap dispenser, hand towels. Clear family photos, children’s

drawings and magnets from the refrigerator, and stacks of “out of reach” items from the top.

In the bathrooms, clear objects such as cosmetics and soap dispensers. Tip: group daily

toiletries in Rubbermaid containers for each family member so you can move them to a closet.

This will also help with showings.

Remove personal photos, flowers and statues from walls, mantles and tabletops. Remove

small mirrors to minimize flash reflections. Keep rooms neat and organize toys, magazines, and

books. Remove any blankets off furniture.

Check all bulbs and replace any that are burned out because a burned out bulb will likely be

noticed in the photo. Also, with the new types of bulbs it is sometimes hard to gauge light output

so do not use mismatched bulbs and make sure they are not too bright. Research shows that

buyers feel that lighting adds “warmth” to the photographs.

If you are not able to be present at the photo session, turn on all lights or at least those that

have switches that might be hard to find and turn off all ceiling fans because they might be

blurred in the photos but leave the ceiling fan lights on.

Make sure that pet bedding, bowels and cages are out of the open areas. MLS rules prohibit

showing pets in the photos, so please cage or remove them from the premises on the day of the

photo session.

That first photo of the front exterior shot is perhaps the most important shot out of the whole

series of photos. It’s the primary photo that a buyer looking at their search results online may

use to decide whether to click or not to click to open and see the details of your home. So, take

a walk around the perimeter, remove any trash containers and other items like hoses. Also, tell

your agent when the sun hits the front of your home (morning or afternoon) so the pictures can

be taken with minimal shadows.

The photographer cannot take the responsibility for moving your personal items. It is up to you

to get your home ready. Remember that the photos will be displayed on the Internet on multiple

websites, so remove everything that you do not want the public to see.

Smart Ideas to get Organized for the New Year 2015

If your New Year's resolutions include getting organized, this is the month to get started. January is Get Organized Month. Here are 10 tips on how to get organized in the new year. Having worked as a professional organizer, I can tell you that each of these things can be very helpful.

1. Organize for 15 minutes each day.
This could mean anything from sorting mail to throwing out mystery foods in the refrigerator. Just 15 minutes a day can make a huge difference over time.

2. Download Quicken (or some other money management program).
Quicken will make your financial life a million times easier to manage. It costs around $50, but its well worth the investment. From Quicken you can pay bills, download transactions from banks and credit card accounts, plan, budget and see what you are spending and what your overall financial picture looks like.

3. Make a simple sorting system for your papers. It's as easy as this:

• to do
• to read
•  to file

That's all you need to keep everything in order. Think about it -- what else is there? Now use the 15 minutes as mentioned above once or twice a week to sort your papers. Some find stackable filing shelves work, others like to have upright files they can thumb through. The Container Store is a great resource for all kinds of organizational tools. If you want to fancy it up a bit, check out See Jane Work. 

4. Keep a list of your passwords in a safe place. Remembering passwords can be a real pain, and a time waster also. There are many ways to keep your passwords in a safe and secure place -- besides that list on the post-it near your computer -- including Last Pass. Find what works for you and spend a few hours recording all of your vital information in an online location that you can access from anyplace. 

5. Have a family information center. Whether it's a bulletin board in your kitchen or a google calendar that you all sync to and add to individually, it's important that a family shares plans and information, such as times, dates, phone numbers and so on. Color-coding can take things even further, if you're so inclined -- each family member can have their own color, which is extremely helpful for at-a-glance info. 

6. Find an online backup program and use it. Carbonite or SOS are a couple of good options -- or a backup drive connected to your computer is an alternative choice. This is essential to your peace of mind regarding anything that you store on your computer -- from legal documents to photos. With online backup, you can retrieve your files anyplace, anytime. 

7. Be ruthless in your closet. Some quiet afternoon, maybe if it's raining and no one else is at home, spend a few hours going through your clothes closet. Be honest with yourself about whether things fit, or you like them or you'll ever wear them again. If you have a friend you trust, try things on and get an honest opinion.

Get those big green garbage bags (the best things for purging) and fill them up with your gently used clothing and shoes, handbags and accessories, ties, suits... whatever you've got. Take them to a local charity. Toss out torn, stained or ripped items. Now you will have a much more manageable closet, and people in need will have clothes to wear.

Also, do yourself a favor and buy some Ultra-Thin Hangers -- you'll be amazed at the additional room you have.

8. Check the expiration dates in your medicine cabinet and in your kitchen.
You'll be surprised how many things are not only out of date, but basically useless, too. Spices lose their flavors, pain relievers lose their efficacy. Get rid of any prescription drugs that you no longer need by taking them to a drop off location for proper disposal. Check canned goods, dry goods, cereals and frozen foods for expired items.

9. Start scanning your photos into your computer -- or send them out and have it done for you.
This is a long-term project and should be approached much like organizing itself -- 15 minutes a day, max. You can find personal photo scanners at a very reasonable price. Don't set a deadline or pressure yourself to get it done quickly -- just do a bit at a time. If you prefer to have a service do this for you, check out what's available.

10. Get an Emergency Kit for Your Car.
No matter where you live, you could find yourself in an emergency situation due to weather, earthquakes or more. An emergency kit for each of your family cars is an easy way to have what you need on hand when you're on the road if a disaster strikes.

If this all seems like too much to do on your own, hire a pro to help you. It's much easier to get organized with someone cheering you on and helping you out. Go to theNAPO website  (National Association of Professional Organizers) to find a person in your area. There are specialists in every field, from garages to computers.

Getting organized takes patience, time and the ability to throw things away. Once you get started, you'll feel so much better!

Previously published on Midlife Boulevard

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sharon-greenthal/how-to-get-organized_b_6382634.html