The saying goes that "a picture paints a thousand words" and it's never been truer than when it comes to selling your home.

Your prospective buyer's journey is likely to start out with a search on a property portal, such as Rightmove or Zoopla.

Typically, they will see a number of listings based on their search criteria.

Each will show a very short description and a thumbnail-sized photograph.

Rightmove's own studies show that house buyers will spend on average one minute per property on the details, 48 seconds when they click on photos and 55 seconds on average on floorplans.

This is such a small window of opportunity for your property to stand out and shine and the single biggest factor is the photography. In a recent study, online listings with professional photography generated an average of 61 percent more page views.

When choosing an Estate Agent, it's crucial that you find out whether or not they've been professionally trained at a Property Photography Academy and have the correct equipment.

All EweMove branch directors receive their training from one of the industry's leading photography experts and have top-of-the-range DSLR cameras, enabling them to get the best photographs of your home. www.propertyphotographyacademy.co.uk

The initial photograph shown on your property listing is very important, this will be the first photo that potential buyers will see, so it is vital that it looks amazing.

Some top tips are to remove cars from the driveway, dustbins and children's toys. Where possible, these photos should be taken on a nice sunny day. However, the British weather isn't always so forgiving, so a good Estate Agent will be able to insert a blue sky as a backdrop.

As a general rule, Rightmove recommends 8-10 internal photos for a standard 2-3 bed property and 15-20 photos for a larger home. The main purpose of your photos is not to present a virtual tour of your home, removing the need for a potential buyer to view.

It's to tempt and arouse their interest by showcasing your very best rooms. The teaser photos should leave them wanting more. To get more, they'll need to arrange a viewing!

What you don't want to do is have 30, 40 or 50 plus photos showing absolutely everything, meaning people will get bored and click off your advert before seeing the best rooms.

Or, see something on the photographs which may potentially put them off ever viewing, which may not actually be a problem when viewing.

Some top tips for staging your internal photos are to remove all clutter, get fresh flowers and set the dining table, in order for potential buyers to really get a feel for living in the property.

Second only to brilliant photographs, floor plans are absolutely essential when it comes to marketing your home properly.

After (sometimes before) looking through your photos, potential buyers will examine in great detail the floor plans displayed on the online portals. Floor plans should show people the room measurements and whether the rooms can fit certain pieces of furniture in them.

This allows potential buyers to really visualise whether a property will suit their needs. This is why we always include the measurements and furniture within our 2D floor plans.

We also include plot plans, showing gardens and driveways to enable potential viewers even greater clarity of the overall plot size.

Another great way to visualise a space is with a 3D floor plan. 3D floor plans allow the house to be brought to life, allowing potential buyers to better visualise themselves living in the home and how the space can be utilised.

To make sure you are getting the best quality when it comes to marketing your property, make sure your Estate Agent offers all of the above as standard.

To book a free no-obligation consultation with Catherine & Lewis at EweMove Ashby de la Zouch, please call them on 01530 442356 or email at [email protected]