To the point: Told you we had one. A few months ago, in celebration of another year of Next Edge Video, we did a post about the first home we ever filmed… a $10 million, 16,000 sq. ft. Calvis Wyant custom home in Silverleaf in Scottsdale, Arizona. It’s special for us. It wasn’t just the first home we filmed, it also earned us our first Emmy Award Nomination. Yes, an Emmy Nomination for real estate video! We take our video that seriously. And the video earned us something else, an endorsement from Tony Calvis where, in an interview with a newspaper, he called us “the go to for anyone doing a luxury real estate video” and went on to say Next Edge Video “was instrumental in getting traffic and selling the home.” If you missed our very nostalgic trip down memory lane, you can read the post here. Anyway, just days after we did the post, we found out that very same house was going back on the market.

Next Edge Video for Calvis Wyant Luxury Homes

Here’s the cool part. The video we shot and produced for Calvis Wyant years prior and was used to sell the house the first time, was about to get another close-up. The lovely people over at Calvis Wyant (yes, we kind of like them), were more than happy to release the rights to the video to the real estate agent for the purposes of re-selling the home.

We were pretty darn happy about it. You may be thinking, why are you happy? Wouldn’t you rather shoot the house again and get paid again? Well, the answer is no and here’s why. When we originally shot the house years ago for Calvis Wyant, we produced a video that we wanted to be just as relevant 10 years from now as the day it was filmed. Our goal, as it is with ever video, is to not only produce a video that sells the home, but to document the heart, soul and spirit that went into creating it. It’s part of what makes our real estate video different. It’s what we are known for. We don’t just do a virtual tour, we do a mini documentary that tells the story of the home. That’s one of the reasons we started our business – luxury homes demand more, not just for the right now, but for years to come. To stand the test of time, the video MUST be amazing. It can’t be dated with video that isn’t exceptional, rolling panoramas that are stuck into a flash player that will soon be out of date or trendy “virtual hosts” walking you through distracting you from the actual property. To be considered a classic, timeless appeal and quality are key.

So that gets us back to the Rolex, the bottle of Chanel No. 5 and our tie-in with video. There’s a big reason why your grandfather’s Rolex sits on your wrist today and why the scent of Chanel’s number one selling fragrance is still a staple. While, throwing video in there may at first seem like a stretch… well, after seeing this magnificent estate rolling for prospective buyers across the country once again, we don’t think so. We are honored to have been entrusted with telling the story of this home way back when and we have the very special experience of having that feeling all over again.

We’ve said it a million times but here’s one more… our thanks to Calvis Wyant. Here’s the video that started it all and is now getting another turn in the spotlight.

For more information on Next Edge real estate video production, visit our website at nextedgevideo.com

"In The Bedroom" - Tips & Tricks

One of the most personal parts of selling your home is what goes on in the bedroom. Yep, we’re going there. Here are 5 quick tips to help pull the covers off the tips and tricks that make your bedroom dreamy for prospective buyers.

1. Under The Covers 

You spend most of your time in the bedroom. You need to do the best you can to NOT remind people of that fact. It very well could be their bedroom soon and the less they know about you, the better. Your bedroom should show more like a luxury hotel room rather than the place where your personal life plays out.

What to do: remove personal photos on nightstands, magazines, books, night creams and any other personal items. Your nightstand should be stark. One lamp and an accessory (preferably fresh flowers in a silver vase) does the trick.

Dreamy Bedroom - Scottsdale, AZ

2. Invite Them Into Bed

Now that you have all of your personal items removed, think about your bed coverings. This is more important than you think. Again… think of a five star hotel. You want people to fall in love with your bedroom (like head over heels) in love. To achieve this, your bedding should be inviting, soft and irrestible. Make them want to see your bed and start begging for a nap. Crisp white, light blue, pale green or cream linens are nap inducers. Add fluffy pillows and the promise of lazy Sunday mornings is all about kept.

3. Use Common Scents

This one is very easy and is psychological proven to “seduce”. Put lavender in your bedroom. Fresh lavender has the ability to hit sensory receptors in a person’s brain relating to comfort and love. Many people use lavender already, but for those who don’t, give it a shot. We dare you not to relax.

4. Prim and Proper = Sexy

It’s kind of like the girl next door effect. Your bedroom should be absolutely fresh, appealing and irrestibly effortless looking. Details count… in this case, minimal details. Remove unneccessary objects and pieces of furniture. The biggest distraction… hide the electronics. A slim, flat screen without wires is just fine, but anything else – put it away. Your bedroom should look dreamy not like the blow-out sale at the local electronics store.

5. If It Starts With A T…

Okay… toilets and tubs. The necessary evil of master suites. First, it is never, ever suggested to show a photo of your house with a toilet in it (no matter how nice the toilet is). People don’t need to see it. We all know it exists and what is done with it. Enough said.

That gets us to tubs. Jacuzzi tubs and steam showers can be a big selling point, but a buyer does not want a reminder that you actually use those things. Simple stuff here. Remove all water after using the shower or bathtub and and every piece of evidence that you actually shower or bathe. Find a nice cabinet to hide away shampoo, soap and razors. Make your showers and bathtubs look showroom new and you’re good.

Perfection!

Miss our basics on 5 quick tips for better real estate video and photography? You can find our checklist by clicking here.

For more real estate photography tips and tricks subscribe to our blog and follow us on Facebook. You can find Next Edge Video on Facebook by clicking here.

You can find Next Edge Video on Facebook by clicking here. Don’t forget to like us while you are there… new polls and great pictures to help with interior design ideas and tips are coming out every week.

Picture Perfect - Highland Park Home Dallas, TX

When selling your house, it has to look more than picture perfect… your house has to tell a story. Prospective buyers need to see more than a picture, they need to feel something. Emotion is the key to selling anything and here are 5 quick, (“quick” being the imperative word) tips for getting your house ready for its close-up. Just a note: Even though we photograph multi-million dollar homes, we often get asked these questions. Remember, no matter what the price point of your house, this checklist applies.

1. Do As CoCo Chanel Did.

Follow the most famous fashionista in the world’s rule when it comes to accessories. Before leaving the house, take at least one accessory off. (okay, well sort of follow it). In this case, before leaving a room in the house, remove an accessory… or two or three or four. Remember, your accessories reflect your personality, not necessarily everyone elses. Just removing a few from one room can make the difference between a buyer “loving it” or “loathing it”.

2. Unplug and Hide.

Check your cords, cables and wires. This is an easy one to overlook and one of the quickest ways to distract a potential buyer’s eye in a photograph or video. Take a few minutes to check each room in the house and make sure all electronics, home theatres, lamps and even kitchens have had a “cord check” - Tuck and hide those cords away or simply unplug them for the photo shoot.

3. Punch Something.

We told you “take stuff away” – but in this case, adding a little punch of color adds up to a lot. If your house is rather neutral, think color but in a very minimal sort of way. Bright fresh flowers (think red gerber daisies, classic pink peonies or, if appropriate with the style of your house, go for tropical flowers like birds of paradise and anthuriums.)

Another quick color fix – throw  pillows. Again, we like red here against neutral backgrounds. Bright blues and greens work as well. Just remember the word “pop”. Keep it minimal and it will work.

4. Tuck It.

Believe it or not, this is our number one photo fix while on location! It’s our job to make sure a picture is perfect, so if it means re-hanging a towel or two in a bathroom to make sure the shot is great, we do it…. if we aren’t at your house though, here’s a great way to make sure your photos don’t show more than they should.   

Towels - Do a quick double check. Tags tucked in! (A good rule of thumb is to fold and hang towels on towel bars with the tags toward the center, not the end where it can peek through a photo)

Tags - Speaking of tags… check them! In 99% of houses (yes, even the $10 million ones) we find throw pillows, especially on beds, with tags sticking out. Check all beds, couches, chairs – tuck those tags!

Tucked In - Back to the bedroom on this one… Check your comforters, especially the corners. Make sure your comforters are even and while you’re at it, give your bedskirts an eyeball as well.   

5. Unleash Your Inner Editor.

It seems obvious but very few people actually do it. Before having a professional real estate photographer or videographer show up at your house, try the 30% percent rule. In any given room, you can more than likely remove 30% of its contents. This could be anything from extra chairs, (maybe even your favorite recliner), couches, books, throw pillows, picture frames and even that table with the extra leaf you’ve had in it since Thanksgiving. Pare it down and get rid of anything that detracts from the idea of an open space. Think clean.  

Less clutter = emotional calm = a better perception by buyers.

Picture Perfect - Highland Park Home Dallas, TX

 So those five quick real estate photography tips are a great start and we hope they help. At the end of the day… a SOLD home is good for everyone and excellent photographs and video help get you there.

Want the next level of tips on getting your home picture perfect and ready to sell? Subscribe to our blog and follow us on facebook. You can find the Next Edge Video Facebook page by clicking here.

Everyone who works with us knows Next Edge Video is a VERY dog friendly environment, so when we found out about this video from our Social Media Assistant (who happens to not only know the dog trainer, but was quick to get it out in the media world), we were awe struck. Ron Pace, of Canyon Crest K9 in Tacoma, Washington is a hero.

Here is the raw video taken during the training session showing the very intense moments after Sugar collapsed and dog trainer Ron Pace jumped in to adminster CPR as Sugar’s owner, Tiffany, helplessly watched. Our heart goes out to her. It is very difficult to watch, but so very important for all dog owners to see.

The quick story: a dog in one of his training classes had a seizure and stopped breathing. Yes, the dog was dead. Ron with a very cool head immediately jumped in and saved this dogs life. The video is chilling for any dog owner to watch but it has a very happy ending. The dog, a boxer named “Sugar” is doing just fine thanks to Ron’s life-saving CPR.

You can see more of this amazing story by visiting Canyon Crest K9 on Facebook by clicking here. The news stories are all on their page.

Ron, Tiffany and Sugar – Our best to all of you. What a great story!

Next Edge Video on Location

A cool piece of Next Edge Video News! 11 of our luxury real estate videos are currently rolling on arizonafoothillsmagazine.com – Our videos and still photography of some of the most expensive and beautiful homes in Scottsdale, Phoenix and Paradise Valley are showcased in an article featuring luxury homes offered by Todd Moen of The Moen Group. Thanks to Todd for giving us so many amazing homes to feature. You can check them all out by clicking here.

Next Edge Real Estate Video on Location

We would like to send out a huge congrats to our client Todd Moen of The Moen Group on the sale of this amazing Paradise Valley home. This one sold fast! We loved this personality packed house and loved it even more when we heard the real estate video almost instantly brought in calls from qualified buyers from around the world! Yes, another situation where video made a huge impact. Sure, we say it all the time, but seeing just how powerful Next Edge videos are when combined with a real estate all star is always a great thing. Congrats again to Todd. Here’s an encore of the video of this fabulous Paradise Valley home.

To read The Moen Group’s take on the role Next Edge Video played in the sale of this home, please click here to visit The Moen Group’s blog.

For more information on Next Edge luxury real estate video, visit us at nextedgevideo.com 

To see more of Bing Hu’s work, you click here to see a spectacular 10.5 million dollar home we debuted a few weeks ago.

For more information on Next Edge Video luxury real estate video production, visit us at nextedgevideo.com

Congrats to Todd Moen of The Moen Group for another fabulous listing! Be sure to visit his website for some of the most stunning homes in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Phoenix.

Video Copyright: Next Edge Video and nextedgevideo.com luxury Scottsdale real estate video production. For more information, you can visit our website by clicking here.

Next Edge Video on Location in Scottsdale, AZ

Next Edge on Location - Silverleaf by Night

For more information on Next Edge luxury real estate video production and real estate photography, please visit our website at nextedgevideo.com

Follow Next Edge Video on Facebook! Click here to go to our Facebook page.