Virtual Viewings - how to film your home tour

As we adjust to facilitating viewings under new social distancing measures, our In-House Photographer, Elliot Sheppard, has put together a guide for how to record a virtual viewing on your phone. 

Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a budding Spielberg to get this right: the steps below are designed to be clear, easy to follow and conducive to representing your home in the best possible light. If you need more guidance, though, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we’ll be pleased to assist you further. 

Getting Set Up

– We ask that you film on the highest possible resolution for your device. Options for this will be found in your phone’s settings menu.

– For an iPhone, it is in Settings/Camera/Record Video. If your phone has the capacity to film in 4K, select this. If not, the highest resolution possible will likely be 1080p HD.

– Also in Camera settings on most iPhones is a menu for ‘Formats’. If you have this, please select ‘High Efficiency’ within it.

– You could also put a grid overlay onto your camera which may help with keeping walls and vertical’s straight, but this is not essential. This option can also be found in the Camera settings on an iPhone.

– Please do not use any filters or video editing software for the files.

– Filming in high resolutions may produce large files that cannot be sent via email. If this is the case, you can use www.wetransfer.com to send them. It’s very straight-forward and free to use, up to 2GB (which should be sufficient).

Filming

– Before you start, plan your route. At the beginning of the film introduce yourself and your home. Explain where you are when you enter each room so the viewer gets a really good sense of the space, but try not to waffle as it detracts from the viewer’s experience! Signal the end of the film by thanking the viewer for their time. 

– Most phone cameras are quite powerful in how much they can pick up, so please turn off any unnecessary artificial lighting. However, if there are any rooms that don’t have windows or have very low natural light, do make sure to turn the lights on before you begin filming. This will help to make the transitions between rooms as smooth as possible.

– We want to make sure prospective buyers have a chance to properly consider and really take in your home, just like if they were there in person. So one of the most important things to remember when you begin filming is to move the camera and yourself in a smooth, slow and steady way. When walking in a straight line (down a hallway, say), it can help to place your heel down first and roll onto the ball of your front foot as you walk.

– Another practical element of filming is the position of the camera. We recommend holding the camera with both hands at chest level or just below. This can help to show more of the space as the eye would see it, ideally including some of the floor and some of the ceiling in the same shot.

– Try not to move the camera up and down, or left and right too much, or make any sudden movements. It is better to move to a vantage point that demonstrates a clear sense of the size and space of the room, stop, and then slowly and steadily pan the camera from right to left or left to right, before moving through to the next room or on to a particular feature of that room.

– Start in the hallway or at the front door, and move through the spaces in a logical order. Try to keep the walkthrough succinct and minimise showing the same spaces too many times. Every home is unique, however, and sometimes it can be useful to show a particular room twice in order to orientate people, or as a way of describing the relationship between spaces.

– As you’re moving though, feel free to pause on a detail or specific section of the room that you think is relevant or particularly attractive. And don’t feel that you have to include every laundry cupboard and boiler unit.

– If you need to stop for any reason, don’t worry, you don’t have to start the whole video again. Hit stop, then just go back a few paces when you’re ready and continue with the walkthrough. The video files can then be sent separately. 

– Please include any outside spaces you may have such as gardens or balconies, and, if relevant, a shot of the back of the house. 

– Also, please be sure to include an exterior shot of the front of the house. If it makes sense to start with this and move through the front door to begin the video, do this. If not, just send us a separate video with the exterior shot included. For most homes, it will probably be best to take this view from across the road or slightly further away.

Lastly, if you have any questions at all or like some advice before you make the video, please get in touch with your Sales Advisor.