When guests are looking at the pictures, they are envisioning themselves and their family inside of the home.

    They want to see the room's features not your personal things lying around.

Also make sure family members are not included in the pictures.

It's really tempting to just point and shoot at the standard rooms in the house, but remember, every home has bedrooms, a dining room and a living room.

It's important to get those shots too, but if your home has unique features make sure to show them off.

    Good examples are exposed beams, wrought iron detailing or fantastic custom tile. These are the things that make your property stand out.

The guests that have children and pets want to know the size of the yard.

Don't neglect the pool, or that landscaping in the front of your house.

If you have a hot tub or jacuzzi, fill it up with water and have the jets running when you take the picture.

If your vacation home has nice views of the water, mountains or city, show them off. Guests enjoy a nice view.

Use a wide angle lens if possible, it will help make the rooms look bigger.

When taking pictures of the beds or pool table, stand on a chair and take the picture looking down.

It's important to keep your camera level both vertically and horizontally.

If the camera isn't straight, the home will appear distorted.

A ladder is always a good idea to gain a higher viewpoint, particularly when attempting to include the roofline of a two-story home.

If you do have to tilt the camera to include the whole building, ensure the camera is still kept level horizontally.

    A dedicated spirit level, available from camera shops, can come in handy for this purpose.

Due to long exposure times in low light, a tripod is always required with twilight shoots.

Open the curtains and turn on all the lights to make a room look bright and open.

Rely on the camera's built-in flash as little as possible.

    It creates shadows and reflects off mirrors and windows.

You should also avoid taking pictures on rainy days or at night, as this will produce dark photos.

Take pictures on an overcast day so the sun doesn't cast dark shadows on your home.

Choose the best angles and compositions.

When photographing your home's exterior, stand at an angle to the home rather than straight-on, allowing your guest to see the home's depth.

As much as possible, avoid photographing objects that obscure your home, like poles and wires.

Finally, don't forget to close garage doors and move any cars that might be in the frame.

The best way to show off a room is to shoot from a corner or doorway to include as much of the room as possible.

    This provides context and makes the room look more spacious than a tight shot does.

IMPORTANT: Don't accidentally mislead the guest, keep you pictures current!

Most photographers are more than glad to take photos of your home. If you prefer not have to deal with the hassle and simply want to get a professional.

    Just keep in mind when entrusting this task to someone else that they don't know your home’s special characteristics as well as you do.

    Going around with them and pointing out the house's key features is recommended.