Light, weather and when to shoot
Humidity flattens exteriors by nine in the morning most of the year; shoot outside at first light and inside during the afternoon rain. Hurricane season runs June to November, and a listing shot before a storm should be re-shot after it if anything visible changed. Winter is the clearest exterior season the state has.
What sells here, and what buyers want to see
New Orleans sells on architecture and neighbourhood: the porch, the ceiling height, the courtyard, the block. Elevation certificates and flood history are early questions everywhere south of I-10. Baton Rouge and Lafayette sell on subdivisions, lots and the covered patio; camps on the bayous and lakes sell on the water and the boat house.
The clips to make
- Interior reveal down a shotgun's rooms — the plan is a sequence and the move shows it.
- Tilt up for the tall ceilings and medallions.
- Front-door approach up the steps of a raised home — elevation as a feature.
- Camps: pool glide-style pass along the bulkhead; drone fly-over from the camp over the water.
Rules worth checking
Louisiana requires a property disclosure document on most residential sales, and flood-zone status and past flooding are questions buyers expect answered in it; the video should show the elevation and never crop the water out. New Orleans historic districts have exterior rules that matter to buyers — mention the district in the caption.
Disclosure, drone and privacy rules change and differ by MLS and municipality; confirm the current version with your broker before you rely on anything here.
Questions
Should I show the elevation of a raised house?
Yes, as a feature: the approach up the steps and a tilt down from the porch to grade. The flood-zone guide covers keeping it honest without turning it into a warning.
How do I shoot a shotgun house so it does not feel narrow?
Move through it rather than across it — an interior reveal from the front room back — and shoot from the doorways so the depth reads. Do not pan; there is nothing to pan across.
Read next
- Listing Video for a Home in a Flood Zone: Honest Without AlarmingHow to make a listing video for a property in a flood zone: what the video should and should not show, where flood facts belong, and how to present elevation and mitigation as the features they are.
- Listing Video in Hurricane Country: Storm Features, Season and HonestyHow to make a listing video for a home in a hurricane region: impact windows, shutters, roof straps and generators as features, when in the season to shoot, and where the storm history and insurance facts belong.
- Listing Video for an Older Home: Character, Condition and Not Hiding EitherHow to video a historic or older home: showing original features with the right moves, being straightforward about condition, the systems buyers ask about, and where inspection facts belong.