Before and After Photos Can Hurt A Home For Sale

STAGED BY GENESIS || PHOTO BY CASEY SPRING || LISTED BY CHIAO VISCARDI - BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY

Home stagers love a good before and after.

And I get it.

You walk into a home that is cluttered, dated, overfilled, or simply lacking personality. Then you transform it into a magazine worthy image.

Of course you want to show it off. And you should.

But before you post that before and after, ask yourself one question:

Who does this benefit?

The after photo benefits you. It showcases your design skills, your inventory, your process, and the transformation you created.

But who benefits from seeing the before?

Certainly not the seller.

Think about the experience from their perspective.

You are a stranger walking into their home. And not just any stranger. You are the prim and proper home staging expert who makes homes look beautiful for a living.

That first walkthrough can be intimidating.

We see it all the time. Sellers apologizing for the condition of their home before we have even had a chance to look around.

“I’m so sorry about the mess.”

“We’ve been packing.”

And our response is usually something like, “You’re moving. We’ve seen worse!”

We make light of it because we want them to relax.

Because we understand something important.

When people are preparing to move, they are anxious about the imminent change of packing their lives and memories into boxes and the task of getting the home in a ready-to-sell condition. Even the neatest, most organized homes can be in complete disarray. Boxes are everywhere. Closets are being emptied. Kids toys and a pile of personal belongings being sorted. Life is happening in real time.

It is often in that state a home stager meets the homeowner.

At one of the most vulnerable points in the life of their home.

We are not there to judge how they live.

We are there to help them prepare their home for the market.

At Genesis Home Staging, we do photograph homes before staging because those images are important for our design and planning process. But there is a difference between documenting a property for our internal use and putting someone’s home on Instagram.

On a case by case basis, we sometimes we make the judgement call and skip the before photos if the sellers are actively living there, not yet in the move process and we return after they are moved out. 

We ask for permission, explain why we are taking the photos, and assure the homeowner that those images are being used for our design process only.

Our staging agreement also gives the seller permission for us to use before and after images for marketing after the home has sold.  Our agreement also states our responsibility as a company includes protecting our client’s privacy.

Protect the Seller’s Privacy

Before publishing any before photo, look at the image through your client’s eyes.

Is their home in disarray?

Are there personal belongings everywhere?

Can you see a house number or address?

If this was your home, how would you feel seeing it online in that state?

Are there family photographs, children’s belongings, paperwork, or anything else that identifies the people who live there?

If so, don’t post it.

And frankly, ask yourself another question:

Do you actually want that image representing your staging business?

You carefully choose the most polished version of yourself to put online. Your clients deserve that same consideration.

Your website and social media should demonstrate your staging expertise, not document a homeowner’s most vulnerable moment.

Your work deserves to be seen. Just consider waiting until the home sells, and make sure you have the appropriate permission to use the images.

This is especially important for professional home stagers who want to build a reputation based on trust. Whether you are a Seattle home stager or working anywhere else, your clients are trusting you with their home, their privacy, and often one of the biggest financial transactions of their lives.

That responsibility goes beyond choosing the right sofa.

It requires discretion.

So the next time you are excited about a before and after, pause before you hit publish. Ask yourself: Who does this benefit?

If the answer is primarily you, maybe that content can wait.

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Because just like your life, not every moment needs to be posted.

And knowing when to keep something behind the scenes is one of the ways you truly protect your client’s privacy while doing your job well.

Sometimes the best way to show your value is to show the transformation without showing your client at the most vulnerable moment in their home life.