Great photography sells properties. Research consistently shows that listings with high-quality images receive significantly more online views and enquiries than those with poor or missing photos. The good news is that you do not need expensive equipment to take effective property photographs — a modern smartphone and some basic technique will get you most of the way there.
Before You Shoot: Preparation
The single biggest factor in good property photography is not the camera — it is the state of the property. Before you take a single photo:
- Ask the vendor to declutter every room, clear kitchen worktops, and tidy gardens
- Turn on all lights and open all curtains and blinds
- Close all toilet lids
- Remove personal items like family photos, toiletries, and children's drawings from fridges
- Straighten cushions, make beds, and hang towels neatly
- Remove wheelie bins and cars from the front of the property
Equipment
A smartphone from the last three to four years will have a camera capable of producing listing-quality images. If your phone has an ultra-wide lens (0.5x), use it for interior shots — it captures more of each room without the extreme distortion of a fisheye. For exterior shots, use the standard 1x lens.
If you want to invest in one piece of kit, make it a smartphone tripod (around £15–£30). This eliminates camera shake, keeps your horizons level, and ensures consistent height across all shots.
Shooting Technique
Interiors
- Shoot from doorways or corners — this gives the widest view of each room and avoids making spaces look smaller than they are
- Hold the camera at chest height — shooting too high makes rooms look cramped; too low makes them look distorted
- Keep the camera level — vertical lines (door frames, walls) should be straight, not leaning. Use your phone's grid overlay
- Shoot in landscape orientation — always. Portrait photos of rooms look amateurish on property portals
- Aim for three to five photos per room — but only use the best one or two in your listing. Show enough to give a complete picture without overwhelming the viewer
Exteriors
- Shoot the front elevation from across the road if possible, getting the full property in frame
- Overcast days often produce better results than bright sunshine, which creates harsh shadows
- Include the garden from an elevated angle if you can — it makes gardens appear larger
- Capture any standout features: period front doors, bay windows, a long driveway
Editing
Keep editing minimal and honest. Straighten any slightly crooked horizons, adjust brightness if rooms look too dark, and crop out distracting elements at the edges. Free apps like Snapseed or the built-in phone editor handle this well.
Do not use heavy filters, remove structural features, or edit in blue skies. Misleading photography creates distrust and wastes viewing time when buyers arrive and the property does not match the images.
Image Order and Selection
The first image in your listing is by far the most important — it is what appears in search results and determines whether someone clicks through. For most properties, this should be the best exterior shot. For flats or properties with unremarkable exteriors, lead with the most impressive interior room.
After the lead image, arrange photos in a logical order: exterior, hallway, reception rooms, kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, garden. This mirrors how a buyer would walk through the property during a viewing.
When to Use a Professional
For high-value properties, new developments, or properties that need to stand out in a competitive market, a professional property photographer is worth the investment. Expect to pay £100–£250 for a standard residential shoot. Some photographers also offer drone shots, floor plans, and virtual tours as add-ons.
Image Specifications for Domovita
For best results on Domovita, upload images in JPEG format at a minimum resolution of 1024 × 768 pixels. Images are automatically optimised for fast loading, but starting with a high-quality original ensures the best possible presentation across all devices.
Well-presented photographs are one of the simplest ways to increase enquiries on any property. A small investment of time in preparation and technique pays for itself many times over.