How to Take Great Photos of Your Home for Home Swapping

If you're just getting into home swapping or want to improve your home listing, you're in the right place. Home swapping is a fun way to see the world and live like a local. The key to a great swap? How you show off your home. Great photos really matter. In this guide, we'll give you easy tips to take awesome pictures of your home. These tips will help your listing stand out and attract the right swappers.

1. Capture Important Details

Home swappers enjoy staying in places that have character. Showcase unique features of your home that you usually wouldn't find in a hotel or vacation home. Maybe you've got some fun art on your walls. Or perhaps you have a kitchen garden you're proud of. Take a look around your home and make note of the aspects that make it uniquely yours and consider spotlighting these in your photos.

2. The Practical Things

Capturing pictures of how your home is accessible can also be important to some home swappers. This is especially true for home swappers traveling with families, or for those whose mobility is limited. Are there wide doorways in your home? What about staircases and railings? Do you have cribs and high chairs? If there are child-friendly items in your home, then you can showcase that as well.

This also counts for your work-from-home facilities. Especially for remote workers, it will be very important to show what their workspace(s) will look like. Tip: turn on your laptop and/or computer screen, make sure it’s showing a nice (minimalistic) wallpaper or website, hide your folders and documents and shoot that perfect image. Way better than just a black screen, right :)?

3. Use Every Angle

Consider taking pictures from multiple perspectives. This will enable you to get the best shot of each room. Should you have a few pictures uploaded of each room from multiple angles, then this can enable home swappers to get a better idea of the space.

Pro tip: position your camera so that it is pointed into the corners of the room (as opposed to being pointed at flat walls). This makes the space look much bigger and offers a nicer perspective that allows other swappers to get a better sense for the space. Many smartphones have wide-angle lenses (0.5x zoom) which can make this much easier.

4. Hide Clutter

If there is any clutter, then ensure it's cleared before you take your pictures. The best practices you would apply when you have guests coming over count: clothes shouldn't be left on the floor, towels in the bathroom should be hung neatly, and clean all dirty dishes in the kitchen. We recommend going beyond that to clear most surfaces of anything that’s superfluous out in order to create a sense of focus and organization. If you usually have a blender, coffee beans and spices sitting on your counter, clearing those from the countertops will make the space look cleaner in your photos.

5. Making Your Home More Inviting

Consider including the unique details of your home as well, specifically for the pictures. Reflections of your personality, or even what life in your culture is like, will give your home swapping guests the sense that they’re truly in a new, exciting locale. For example, display a vase of tulips if you’re based in the Netherlands, or a bowl of local oranges if you live in Valencia, to add a touch of local color to your home. Keep in mind that areas such as the bedroom and living room are made to look inviting.

Think about how you would spruce up your home should a guest be visiting you. Only take your pictures once you're sure that your home is cozy and inviting. This will give home swappers an idea of what life in your home is like.

Órgiva, Spain: Amazing desk view - Featured on Swaphouse

6. Lighting in Your Photos

For your outdoor photos, consider making use of the golden hour–the time just before sunset, when the light shines a deeper and warm hue. The golden hour provides excellent lighting for your pictures, that help you to capture your home at its finest. Even if you don't have a high quality phone or camera, you'll still be able to take high quality pictures during the golden hour.

Wherever possible, try to make use of natural lighting in your pictures. This can enable you to take better shots. Natural lighting is also important when it comes to taking pictures of your home's interior. Open the curtains and let the natural light in. Sometimes even turning on all the lights while taking photos in daylight gives much needed brightness. We recommend avoiding using the flash when taking photos, and instead waiting until daylight to take the photos to ensure highest quality. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Lucca, Italy: Bright living room view - Featured on Swaphouse

7. Increase the Appeal of Your Home

While taking photos of your home, but also just before your home swap, don’t forget to actively maintain your home. If you have a lawn or a backyard, ensure that it's trimmed and mowed. The interior of your house, from all fixtures to equipment that are displayed in your photos should be working properly. Homes that look more appealing to home swappers tend to get chosen more often.

And there you have it! With these tips, you're all set to take your home swap listing to the next level. Remember, the right photos can really make your home stand out and draw in the ideal swap partners. So, grab your camera, let your home's personality shine through, and get ready to capture its best angles.

Happy photographing, and here’s to many successful and exciting home swaps in your future! 🏡✨