Photographing your French Holiday Property

In an increasingly competitive marketplace it's important to make sure your French holiday property stands out and really captures the imagination of a prospective holiday maker.

Quality photographs are a key marketing tool, if you hope to increase the attractiveness of your French property listing on Ourhouseabroadfrance.com and maximise bookings enquiries.

To help you get the most from French holiday property we have compiled a list of tips for photographing your property, from property sales experts and property owners.

1. Presentation of a property is one of the most important things to consider. If you're photography the outside of your French property make sure the area is clean and tidy. Clear any outside area of rubbish bins, cars and that the garden is tidy and the grass is cut where appropriate. For the inside photographs make sure tables are clear, beds are well made, the rooms and furniture are tidy and in positions to illustrate the inside space of your property.

2. Really look at a room and think about the best view and position to show off the best features. If you have a digital camera you can take as many pictures as you want from all sorts of different angles, also pictures can look quite different on the viewfinder to the downloaded image copies which is another good reason to take lots of shots.

3. If you're trying to fit the whole room in to the shot and you don't have a wide angle lens stand on a chair or ladder in the corner of the room, this also helps to make a small room look bigger.

4. It really is important that you show exterior shots as well as the interior ones. Even if your property isn't all that special it could look like you're trying to hide something if you exclude exterior pictures. You could always include your property in the distance set in the surrounding area and include the views to increase the appeal of your property

5.For exterior shots it's worth taking the photos using what professionals call 'the golden light', at the beginning or end of the day. This is when the light is at its best and can really make the difference when showing off the warmth of your property. Make sure you take your photos on a sunny day, it's important that potential renters think you always have excellent weather.

6. People or no people, this really is a tricky one. The two important facts to consider are, a smiling face could help persuade a holiday maker that your property is for them by making it more personal or it could put them off. They could be a distraction from the important areas of the property that you really want to highlight. At the end of the day the decision is yours but make sure that your subjects are smiling should you decide to have people in any of your shots.

7. Don't forget to highlight the focal points in your property, including fireplaces, comfortable furniture and traditional features. Also include outside features such as BBQ's, patio areas and a swimming pool if you have one, these outside areas are important to make sure you don't make a property feel cramped.

8. If you have a small kitchen or bathroom leave these out and include the larger bedrooms and lounge. You want to give potential renters an idea of what your property has to offer and they will fill in the blanks themselves.

9. You really should use a digital camera, if you don't have one try and borrow one or get someone to help you. If you are experienced in using any of the software you can crop or enhance some of the photograph to make them look as appealing as possible. If you can't get out to the property take the pictures yourself then see if you can get the person looking after your property to take some for you but give them some guidance on how you would like the pictures taken, better yet show them these tips!

10. Remember quality over quantity. You don't have to show off every room in the house, select the most attractive shots that show off your properties best pictures. Why don't you ask friends and family to view the shots you want to use and ask for their feedback.

If you have found this useful, have any of your own tips you'd like us to share, or you would like to give us feedback, then please do contact us at info@ourhouseabroadfrance.com