I've just visited a Real Estate agents website and had a look around at some of the houses they have for sale. We didn't shoot any of them. For one property in particular, the image tour started OK but quickly went downhill. A modest home, it needed all the help it could get from the images and visual presentation. Unfortunately it wasn't getting any help at all.
What does a dirty splash back say about you and your home?
Subconsciously it says "If these people are willing to let this little detail get through, what else is wrong with the place?". "Does it have a vermin problem" "Am I buying something that will take months to clean?" You don't think so? Then you need to study psychology 101 as it applies to brand image. Ever seen a dirty MacDonald's™ in an ad? How about a flat glass of Coke™? No, Because you always have to put your best foot forward,especially when you're expecting people to hand over the largest amount of money they'll ever spend.
Worse still, an image with obvious faults takes the viewers eye off the main game - the beautiful room, the European appliances etc etc. All they focus on is the dirty splash back.
And it's not just the obvious things.
One of my pet peeves is a messy bed. Mainly because it's not so hard to smooth out on the day, and if there are still some creases, it's easily fixed in post production.
Again, your digital home visitor is distracted by the mess, and they're not looking at the wall of built ins, or the view outside, or how large the room is...
This, as opposed to this...
Mess distracts the buyer. Mess registers an unfair, negative opinion of your property.
And it's easily prevented.
So remember, the next time you have some photos taken of your home, make sure the photographer understands this concept. Don't approve any images to go live, if they show anything that's doesn't look as good as it should.
Simple, really.