Don’t Want To Spend Another Cold Winter On The Farm? List Now, and Take Great Photos!

If you’ve been thinking about selling your Pennsylvania horse farm, NOW is the time to get it on the market! 2017’s low housing inventory means that buyers are eagerly snapping up well-priced real estate, and selling your farm this fall means you don’t have to spend another winter chopping ice out of water troughs. If the thought of putting your farm on the market overwhelms you, don’t despair: the team at Cindy Stys Equestrian & Country Properties, Ltd. is here to help you through the entire process, from listing to closing!

Over 90% of buyers search for real estate online, and because of that fact, photos can often make or break the marketing of your farm. Our team will help you stage and photograph your home and barn in its best light; highlighting all of its wonderful features and minimizing its faults. Here are some tips to help you present your horse farm in its best light:

1. Declutter! Nothing ruins a listing photo faster than a room or barn aisle filled with clutter. Before your agent comes to photograph your property, clean up and put away any extraneous items. That includes the dishes in your sink, laundry on the bed, kids’ drawings on the fridge, brooms in the barn aisle and stray halters on fence posts. Your home and barn should appear neat, uncluttered, bright, and open. In the barn, make sure windows and doors are open to let in light, and turn on any lights you may have. Be sure your stalls are clean on photo day, and try to tidy up or remove unsightly items like manure piles. Inside your house, turn on the lights and be sure your counters and furniture are clear of excess appliances, dog toys, and decorative items.
2. Try to pick a sunny day. While cloud cover can minimize harsh shadows, most homes photograph best against a blue sky, and sunlight streaming through windows does a lot to highlight interiors. If your schedule is flexible, wait until the weather is clear to take pictures.
3. Don’t over-estimate the power of Photoshop. While digital editing can be downright magical and help to enhance your listing photos, it isn’t a one-size-fits-all miracle worker. A neat, clean home and barn will photograph as such.
4. Carefully vet your photographer. Last but not least, if you are the one responsible for finding a photographer, or if your agent suggests a pro that they would like to use, check out their work before they come to take pictures. There are a lot of sub-par “professional” photographers out there, and the last thing you want is for the first impression of your farm to be a poor one!

With the support of a team of top-notch real estate and photography pros, you’ll be able to sell your Pennsylvania horse farm before winter hits, and avoid another year of blanketing horses, picking ice out of hooves, and slogging wheelbarrows through the snow!