Let’s talk about taking pics for Craigslist. Having the right photography can make or break your sale. First, take a look at this Queen Anne bedroom suite for $1800.

Bad lighting, bed not neatly made, and the worst- a DOG on the bed. Now, I love animals, but many people won’t even consider furniture from a home with pets. Never mind that they’re not selling the bedding or mattress. It’s just not a good idea. The rest of the pictures in the post are just as bad- they’re all sideways. Come on, people! It’s not that hard to turn a picture with editing software or even online!

Here’s a sofa for $200. Again, bad lighting, but the worst part of this photo is the fact that the house is an absolute disaster in the background. If the outer house looks that bad, I’d hate to see what is under that sofa’s cushions. Worse than that, though, the other picture has a kid on the sofa with his SHOES ON! Ewww. No.

Now, for some good examples.

Here’s another sofa for $200. This one has natural lighting, and showcases only the sofa. There’s another photo that shows a closer view. Well done!

This is for a chair and sofa for $450. The lighting is good, the house is clean, and there’s a photo showing how the chair and sofa look in a living room. Excellent!

So, what are some tips for photographing your items for sale on Craigslist?

*Use natural lighting. Wait until the sun is at its best in your house, turn off your flash, and take the picture with the natural lighting. If you live in a house or apartment where this is impossible, turn on all the lights. Don’t use a flash.

*Keep all extra stuff out of the picture. Especially kids and animals. Seriously. Nobody cares about your kids and animals when they’re looking for furniture on Craigslist.

*Clean up the background. Seriously, it’s the least you could do to pick up your mess in the background.

*Try to show  how it looks set up in your house. Sometimes, this is not possible. But if it is possible, go for it. 

*But keep the personal stuff to a minimum. I once saw a shelving unit that was stuffed with this person’s family photos. Now, that’s nice and all, but first it was over-cluttered, and secondly, I couldn’t imagine what I would do with it because Grandpa in his swim shorts on the beach was forever burned into my mind.

Taking great pictures of your stuff will really help to sell it!