"You don’t take a photograph; you make it!"
In this blog, we will share with you all you need to know about item removal in real estate. Firstly, we’re going to examine what we mean by “item removal” in real estate. Secondly, we’ll see how and why it’s so important for better presenting your listings. Then, we’ll try to figure out the logic behind the item removal and give you some examples in which item removal has gone to the rescue! Without any further ado, let’s dive into the matter!
Table of Contents
What Is Item Removal in Real Estate Photography?
The concept of item removal or object removal service is easy to understand. The term is very straightforward: you are eliminating unwanted objects and decluttering the image.
Pictures are the most crucial asset in real estate marketing, and a perfect picture provides visual content by putting the focus on the property and its potential. That is why we are discussing item removal in real estate photography.
Importance of Decluttered Images
You’ve probably heard the saying: “a picture speaks louder than words.” And it made sense to you, but have you ever wondered what a picture is saying and why is it louder?
Studies show that our brain processes a photo 6 to 600 times faster than texts, and our human experience proves that! When we come up with sayings like those mentioned above or talk about the importance of first impressions.
The faster process does not indicate that we don’t need or don’t process the content. Given time, we can always go through a whole text or change our minds after the first impressions. The problem is that we always do not have enough time.
The digital era is asking us to pick up the pace, which is why perfect, enticing pictures are a must. Real estate agents and home sellers rely increasingly on virtual staging to create gorgeous visuals of their various listings and showcase homes for sale.
If you are a real estate photographer, you can feel much pressure in this image-ruling age. You are supposed to capture the essence of a property with your shots and deliver this message to prospective buyers: “this is the house you’ve been looking for.”
As a photographer, you have limited or no control over many things before the shoot, like the weather, level of messiness or tidiness of current residents, wondering pets, parked cars, and personal items lying around or nailed to the wall.
If you are taking photographs of an estate for virtual staging, you have probably felt the need for the house to be vacant and the rooms as empty as possible. You need to remove the clutter, distractions, and extra furniture to get the ideal image for the virtual staging designer to do their artistic work and create pictures that you can confidently present online to attract potential buyers.
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The Logic Behind Item Removal in Real Estate: Removing Clutter
During our lives, many things stick to us: gifts, letters, souvenirs, receipts, birthday cards, etc. as life goes on, it is possible that our home becomes more like a storage unit. Look at it this way: life is a never-ending story, and sometimes, you need to make room for new chapters. Decluttering is the key to that.
Living a simpler life is intriguing, and people try to do that by donating, recycling, putting away, mending, and throwing away. Some call this Home Therapy. This therapy process is complicated and time-consuming, so it usually gets put off. This matches the definition of clutter in Feng Shui: “postponed decisions.” Eventually, all of us have to face these decisions.
Usually, when people move from one house to another, they get rid of their clutter. The problem is that you, as the real estate photographer, must take pictures before that happens. There is a limit to what the current tenant or resident can put in the closet or the storage. At the end of the day, you are shooting a property that tells the story of someone’s life.
The pictures you take are supposed to provide visual content for house-buyers to envision themselves living there. It would be challenging to imagine living in someone else’s home. That is why item removal is inevitable. You have to provide a new page for a new story.
Virtual Decluttering
Virtual Decluttering is the act of digitally eliminating clutter and other items to get a cleaner and more appealing photo. In real estate photography, virtual decluttering is usually used because, in pictures, clutter is distracting and often causes the room to look smaller. Virtual decluttering is often used synonymously with item removal, referring to removing unwanted objects from photos.
So, when we talk about item removal, the process is done virtually and after the shoot, and that is why virtual decluttering and item removal can be used interchangeably.
Examples of Item Removal in Real Estate Photography
As a real estate photographer, you do everything to be prepared for an estate shooting. You check your camera, bring the necessary lenses, and pack the tripod. You also list the tasks for your client: what to prepare before the photo session.
Despite all that preparation, there is always one thing you cannot anticipate: the undesirable objects on the day of the shoot. To name a few:
- leaves blown by the wind-they provide a poetic setting, but then no one notices the lawn or the garden.
- The dog or the cat who wouldn’t leave-sure they are adorable, but not everyone thinks so.
- Family photos nailed to the wall-they make the house feel homey, but who would want to live in someone else’s home.
- Items of certain religions or beliefs-it is personal for a reason.
- Clutter made by excessive accessories-people don’t have the same taste.
- Furniture blocking the view-the couch facing the gorgeous balcony but making it impossible for anyone to admire the view unless they’re sitting on it.
- Cords hanging from electronic devices-all these wires you see pocking from every corner.
And basically, any item standing between the buyer’s decision and the estate.
The photos you have taken will cause disinterest in potential buyers with all these unwanted objects. So, what is your choice? Will you spend more time and money? Will you consider reshooting or using editing services?
Luckily, there is a way for you to get rid of clutter and unwanted objects in your photos. You can easily have them removed to get pictures with the ability to promote likeability and sales potential. This is where item removal in real estate comes in handy.
Removing indoor and outdoor unwanted objects is essential in shooting a property to market. Indoor item removal eliminates items such as unwanted furniture, wall hangings, dishes and utensils, objects on tables and counters, plants, photo frames, floor mats, laundry baskets, etc., from your indoor settings. Item removal is also a great way to remove shadows made by shelves, cabinets, or windows.
Outdoor item removal is even more critical in real estate photography because you have less control over outdoor settings. So, if a car is parked in front of your beautiful garden blocking its incredible view, you have no choice but to remove it from your photo. Outdoor objects commonly eliminated from outdoor pictures include garden equipment, cars, people, trees, electric poles, etc.
Applying item removal on real estate photos can make the property more likable and appealing to potential buyers. Based on your needs, you can use the image for virtual staging or use it just as it is.
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Benefits of Object Removal
Likely, the house you are going to sell is not perfect. Of course, you can set up the ideal scene for your images, but it requires physical staging, and doing so is not the best use of your time and budget. So, what you can do here is to take the photographs and use item removal to make them perfect and eye-catching. After all, removing the unwanted is not as costly and time-consuming as physical home staging, and an object removal service will do that for you in no time.
Object removal is imperative when rental tenants forbid you from presenting images containing their personal belongings (such as family photos) online. Also, if you have difficulty telling the homeowners that their rooms are messy or the furniture is old and shabby, then object removal is the right solution for you. You can clean up the image and get the desired result without hassle. Other than already mentioned advantages, there are several other benefits of item removal in real estate, which include:
- It prepares photos for virtual staging, hence allowing you to better market your property,
- The property is decluttered and open for imagination; anyone can picture themselves living there. Future buyers only see the property and its potential, and that increases their interest and enables you to sell the estate at a better price.
- It eliminates hiring a junk removal company and helps you save time and money.
- The focal point becomes the estate, and every part of the property is captured without obstruction.
- If you are a realtor, it helps you to create a professional image of yourself and stay ahead of your competitors.
The Process of Item Removal in Real Estate
While it is easy to define object removal as removing unwanted items from real estate photos, the process of removing objects from real estate photos is not that simple, depending on how you are doing it.
Do it yourself
You can use photo editing software to remove unwanted items one by one. Most of the time, you must reconstruct the background behind the object you removed from the photo. So, it demands a lot of time, work, and professional experience.
Use online services
Companies and professional photo editors can do the job for you in a fraction of the time and cost. They offer item removal services using professional editors or AI – artificial intelligence. There are multiple apps and websites for item removal in real estate.
Photographers can save time with item removal services and attend to more projects, and there are tips for preparing and shooting real estate for item removal that they can use in advance.
Item Removal Apps
Many apps exist if you want to remove items or clutter from your real estate photographs with their help. These apps allow you to clean up your images, but sometimes, you may not get the desired result. More often than not, you may get an image with smears and lines. Therefore, you will need to try out several apps to see which works best.
PhotoWorkout’s five best item remover apps for iPhone and Android include Adobe Photoshop Fix (Now: Photoshop Express), Snapseed , TouchRemove ,Photo Retouch , and BG Studio Remove Unwanted Object. These are apps that claim to do wonders, even for complicated photographs.
Costs of Item Removal Services
The cost of using Item removal service depends on the object you want to remove from a photo. So, if there are one or two small objects (like a bowl in the kitchen or a toilet brush in the bathroom), some companies will offer this service for less than US$5.00. But, if there are a couple of small objects or one or two larger objects, you should pay around US$10.00 or more.
Final Remarks
All real estate agents and home sellers want to sell their property quickly and at the highest price. Hiring an item removal company will help them meet these objectives. So, if clutter or objects is ruining your photo, you can digitally remove them to get an ideal image that helps your listing look more pleasant and attractive.
As a realtor, item removal (and consequent virtual staging) will help you to appear more professional. It also allows you to sell your property quickly and for a higher price. Item removal in real estate photography does not mean misrepresentation. It is indeed the opposite. You are presenting the property as it is by eliminating any barrier from the eyes of the prospective buyer. And that is what item removal is all about.
To order item removal at unbeatable price click below!
