Enhance Your Home Photos
New for Collection Members: Professional Photo Enhancement
We are thrilled to offer professional photo enhancement to all HomeExchange Collection members to elevate your profile. To achieve the best results, please follow the steps outlined below. Take this opportunity to capture new photos that accurately represent your home for potential guests.
Follow our simple guide below for taking and uploading your home photos, ensuring we can deliver the best possible results. Remember, the higher the quality of your original photos, the better the enhanced images will be!
What to do:
Step 1: Prepare Your Space & Take Your Best Shots!
Before you start taking pictures, take a moment to tidy up your home. You don't need to stage it like a showroom—your home should look lived-in, and the photos should accurately reflect what guests will experience upon arrival.
Grab your smartphone, take at least 15 photos of your home during daylight. If your home features impressive evening or night lighting, feel free to capture some additional shots at sunset or early evening to showcase these highlights. Scroll down for more tips on how to take beautiful photos of your home!
Step 2: Upload Your New Photos
Once you're satisfied with your photos, please upload at least 15 images in .heic or .jpg format to your HomeExchange Collection account. Aim for a resolution of at least 330ppi.
Most images taken on an iPhone will already be high-resolution .heic format, so we recommend uploading your images directly from your smartphone to your profile on the HomeExchange app or website. Uploading from your smartphone ensures the highest quality inputs with the fewest steps between taking the photo and uploading.
NOTE: Photo ehahncements are for verified Collection members only - upon verification confirmation we will begin editing your images. Not included in the 14-day trial period. Only images of your home will be edited, not surrounding nature or cities.
Step 3: View Edited Photos in Your Profile
Once the photos have been edited, you will recieve an email from collectionphotos@homeexchange.com notifying you that your images are ready to view in your HomeExchange Collection account. There will also be a survey asking for your feedback about this process.
NOTE: We will access your HomeExchange Collection account to update your images, which may include changing the order of your photos so the first 15 images in your profile will be the newly enhanced images. You can rearrange the photos or make any further adjustments as needed. Your original, unedited photos are available upon request.
Contact our Collection Photo Team
Do you want more than 15 images enhanced? Prefer not to have your photos edited? Let us know below to add additional photos, provide specific instructions, opt-out of editing, or assist with any questions!
Please contact CollectionPhotos@homeexchange.com for all photo concerns
After
Photo Enhancements Include:
- Upscaling/Enlarging: Increasing the size of the image to improve its quality when viewed from your profile.
- General Adjustments: Enhancing sharpness, exposure, shadows, brightness, contrast, saturation, white balance, noise reduction, and more to bring out details and create a cohesive look among photos.
- Straightening: Ensuring horizontals and verticals are properly aligned for optimal photo composition.
- Decluttering: Tidying up kitchen and bathroom counters, coffee tables, etc., as necessary. Note: You should still clean before taking photos, as we cannot remove all items.
- Sky Replacement: Enhancing or replacing the sky for a more appealing look.
- Turning on Lights: Simulating lights being turned on to create a warm atmosphere.
- Reducing Glare: Minimizing glare for clearer, more professional images.
- Perfecting Grass: Repairing or enhancing grass for a lush appearance.
- Perfecting Pools: Removing pool filters and enhancing the blue water for a pristine look.
- Adding Fire to Fireplaces: Creating a cozy atmosphere by adding fire to fireplaces.
- Adding TV and PC Screens: Simulating black screens on TVs and PCs for a polished appearance.
- Blurring Private Photos or License Plates: Ensuring privacy by blurring sensitive information.
- Removing Camera or Photographer Reflections: Perfecting tricky mirror or window pictures by eliminating unwanted reflections.
Tips to Take Exquisite Home Photos:
- Grab your smartphone! If you have a professional camera, that's even better! However, for most of us, a smartphone will take high-resolution images and is the easiest to use.
- Natural light is your friend. Don't take your pictures at night—choose a sunny day when light is streaming through your windows. Avoid using your flash as it often creates a cold and artificial feeling. Natural lighting is the best because it illuminates your home more authentically.
- Take A LOT of photos. Don't snap just one picture of your room—take many so you have plenty to choose from. Try different angles, close-ups, wide angles, and varying amounts of light. Pro tip: Take photos from the corners of rooms to show the most space in a single image!
- Set the stage.Make the beds, put away the laundry and dishes, and make your space look clean and inviting. It's okay for it to look lived-in, just make it look the way you would leave it for your guests!
- Highlight your home's special features.Show off your home's unique qualities! If your home has a pool, hot tub, sauna, stunning view, claw-foot tub, impressive book collection, state-of-the-art kitchen appliances, or funky bedroom decor, be sure to capture these details.
- General advice: Remember that horizontal (landscape) photos look better on the HomeExchange Collection website. Try not to use screenshots of old photos or images that have been transferred between multiple devices, as this can reduce resolution.