5 Spooky Real Estate Photos (& Why They're So Scary)

If you follow us on Facebook, you know about our #FridayFunny posts where, every week, we show a listing photo that's so bad, it's comical. As funny as those photos are, if they were to be your reality, it would be absolutely frightening! In honor of Spooky Season, we're sharing 5 real estate photos that will scare you right out of your socks, and what makes them our worst nightmares.

Phantom Furniture

Shortcuts rarely yield great results, and home staging is no exception. Sure, virtual home staging seems like a good idea on paper and costs less, but when implemented it can often look like a complete horror. The scale of the furniture to the room can be deceiving, and because there are no regulations about listing photos with virtual furniture and decor, you won't know if you're getting a trick or a treat.

Ahhh..! Over-staging!

A general rule of thumb with home staging is to keep the staging true to life. In order words, stage so that home buyers feel like they could live there. Does anyone shower with votives and vases? Witches, maybe. But not your average home buyer. Keep it simple!

The Haunting Tale of Not Enough or Too Much Furniture

There are two common mistakes made by many home sellers - 1) staging with furniture that is too small for the room OR 2) staging with furniture that takes over the entire room. In each of those scenarios, it can distort the integrity of the room. You're either not showcasing the room's full potential or making it appear that the room is much smaller than it actually is. Both are terrifying outcomes.

Creepy Clutter

The photo below says it all, but please, remove the clutter if you do nothing else when listing your home! It's difficult to tell what this room even looks like because there are so many distractions. And not to mention, the decor is out-of-date. So unless you're immortal, keep up with the times.

The Scariest of All: Vacant Homes

Like haunted houses, vacant homes are very scary and should be avoided. Why? Because you're missing out on potential money and wasting time by not hiring a professional home stager. According to the I nternational Association of Home Staging Professionals, staged homes have been shown to sell 5-11 times faster than vacant homes that are left unstaged. For example, here's a before and after of a home staged by Staging Dallas. Which listing photo would you be more inclined to visit?