How to Take Great Photos for Your Home Listing

Great photographs tell the story of your home and help potential tenants get a better idea about your listing. We want to help you make your photos great. Read the helpful photo tips below and you’ll be on your way to finding a match in no time!

Related: Getting Started on SabbaticalHomes

Quality Counts, Quantity too

Your pictures should show your home at its best. Make sure that rooms are free of clutter and are clean and organized. You will want to include photos of the living room, dining room, kitchen, bedrooms and (sparkling clean) bathrooms – or whatever the space is that you are offering.  A home office is also a key benefit.  Be sure to show photos of any special features like a backyard/garden, outside deck, pool or a nice amenity like an indoor laundry area.

Use the best camera you can get your hands on. It will make a difference in the quality of your images.  Also, try to take many photos so that you can pick the best from the bunch.  You can post up to 10 photos on your listing. Horizontal images with a 16:9 aspect ratio work best in our listing displays.

Each image should be smaller than 10 MB and be saved as a JPG/JPEG, HEIC, GIF or PNG file. As an added level of security, we add a small SabbaticalHomes.com logo and your listing number on your images after you upload them. This helps prevent scammers from re-purposing your images on other websites.

Clean and uncluttered living room, home rental in Toronto, Canada.

Office space, home rental in London, UK.

Clean bathroom, home rental in Los Angeles, California.

Spacious backyard, home rental in Princeton, New Jersey.

Awesome pool, home rental in San Francisco Bay Area, California.

Related: How to Create a Great Home Listing

Let there be light

Use as much natural lighting as possible. Additionally, turn on the lights for a warm glow. Try to avoid using the camera’s built-in flash. This will help brighten the space.

Good lighting, home rental in West Hollywood, California.

Good lighting, home rental in Boulder, Colorado.

Composition matters

Try to keep your images balanced, straight and level – avoiding sharp slants or weird angles. Include at least two walls with a bit of the floor and ceiling from an opposing end to show the scope of the space, like a kitchen opening up into a family room.

Strong composition photo, rental home in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Strong composition photo, rental home in Lisbon, Portugal.

Local Flavor

In addition to taking pictures inside your home, take some exterior shots as well. Maybe even add one or two of the neighborhood and/or favorite local hangouts.

Exterior photo, home rental in Austin, Texas.

Neighborhood photo, apartment rental in Paris, France.

Highlight views and outside spaces

If you’ve got it, flaunt it!  If your home has a stunning view or amazing outside space, be sure to highlight it in your photos.

Stunning view, villa rental in Milos, Greece.

Charming outside patio, home rental in Los Angeles, California.

Cute outside balcony, home rental in Rome, Italy.

Choose your best image for your thumbnail photo

This is the very first photo members will see. Convince them they need to see more by using an enticing image. Use this photo to highlight the greatest selling point of your rental, whether it’s a beautiful interior, an unforgettable view or charming neighborhood.

Related: Photo Format Frequently Asked Questions

Have another great photo idea? We’d love to hear from you! Connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook,  Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.