“A picture says a thousand words,” the old adage goes. Photography can make or break a house sale, especially since so many consumers are turning to the internet to shop before they take a drive around neighborhoods.

Do you want off kilter straight shots of a home, or beautifully styled photos taken from dynamic angles? A New York Times article recently showcased what good photography and styling can do for a home sale. This article was written demonstrating multi-million dollar high-rise apartments, but the lessons can be extrapolated to a home of any price or size. So, if you are looking to sell Atlanta real estate, read on.

Spic and Span is the Plan

Never take photographs of a dirty home. Make sure your counters shine and nary a lint ball is seen on the carpet. Remove all trash cans from all rooms being photographed. Tidy up any clutter and remove personal photos and drawings from refrigerators and bulletin boards. While your at it, just take down the whole bulletin board.

Clean, not Sterile

While cleanliness is good, your home still needs to exude a warmth people can picture themselves in. If your walls are a neutral tone, add a bright accent such as fruit or flowers. If your countertops are bare, add a beautiful cookbook. Go ahead and leave the throw pillows on the couch, just as long as there aren’t more throw pillows than cushions.

Natural Lighting is One Friend, Photoshop is Another

Open your windows and let the light in! Try to take pictures on a day that is not too overcast or rainy. When that fails, Photoshop or another photo editing program (even free ones) can allow you to add more light into the photo.