Photographing a House That’s “All Garage” – Putting Theory To The Test

In my last post, I was talking about shooting houses with large, front-facing garages, and how the garage often dominates the photo. I went on to state that by using this type of image as the primary listing photo, agents may inadvertently be detracting buyers simply because the image looks more like a parking space for sale rather than a home.

I recently stepped out and shot a house that met the description above. The house is located in a beautiful, new area of town. So new, in fact, that the landscaping is yet to be completed. In other words: no trees, no lawn, no flowers. Yikes! Barren, desolate yards are common sights though, especially for agents who deal with listings in newly developed areas. In these types of locations, the house needs to stand out to attract attention, simply because there’s really nothing else.

Step 1 – Focusing on the House

When I see a dirt yard, my first intention is to try and shoot the listing photo in a manner that shows as little of the yard as possible. So I got as close to the house as I could, and took a picture:

Front1 Photographing a House Thats All Garage Putting Theory To The Test

Listing Photo #1: Close-Up Front

Boom! There it is, the classic garage shot, with the house tucked in behind. There’s little focus on the yard, it’s true, but there’s really nothing to see here that a home buyer really wants to see.

Step 2 – Get More “Home” in the Picture

Seemingly dissatisfied by the results of my first attempt, I decided to give it another shot. In a moment of genius, I found that stepping away from the house helped to decrease the visual dominance of the garage. Snap:

Front2 Photographing a House Thats All Garage Putting Theory To The Test

Listing Photo #2: Front from a Distance

So I’m standing on the neighbor’s driveway and elated that I can see the front door. And there’s windows too! Definitely some progress…

Step 3 – Use Perspective to My Advantage

Now that I know I’m getting somewhere, I’m energized to go all out. It’s time to get that aerial angle that I have relied on for years. Getting the aerial angle shot does require some ingenuity, but it can be done in almost any environment. OK, so here it is:

SideHigh1 Photographing a House Thats All Garage Putting Theory To The Test

Listing Photo #3: The Aerial Angle

I’m loving the look and feel of the house in this shot, but there’s a problem: the house is literally swimming in a sea of houses that all look too similar. To make matters worse, there’s no trees bursting out of the background, no shrubs, no parks, no flowers, no fences – not even a blade of grass. It looks like a construction zone, because IT IS a construction zone.

Step 4 – Utilize Perspective, but Focus on the House

Last try. It’s time to move in for the kill. I know I like the angle, but the lack of green space bothers me. So, it’s time for the low angle – the classic “go to” shot when the neighborhood looks like Mars.

SideLow1 Photographing a House Thats All Garage Putting Theory To The Test

Listing Photo #4: The Low Angle

That’s it! The yard shows, but the focus is on the house – not the houses in the neighborhood, not the house next door, but THE house. There’s a good balance between living space and parking space, and best of all, the potential buyer knows exactly what he/she is in for.

If the neighborhood would have been more developed, I’d likely have stuck with the aerial angle as my primary shot to market this listing. Every house requires it’s own analysis in order to get the best shot possible based on it’s structure and surrounding environment.

My advice: take your time, explore possibilities, and have fun!