How to Remove Unwanted Edges From Real Estate Photographs [2024 Guide]

How to Remove Unwanted Edges From Real Estate Photographs [2024 Guide]

Clutter in real estate photos can distract potential homebuyers, making it harder for your client to sell the property. Our real estate photography editing team uses various tools to eliminate unnecessary edges and objects in images, helping you and your clients find success. This guide shows you how each Adobe Photoshop tool can quickly fine-tune real estate photos.

Which Tool Should Be Used to Remove Unwanted Edges of an Image?

When removing unwanted edges from images, Lasso tools such as Polygonal, Magnetic, and Standard Lasso, allow a precise selection of areas to be removed, whereas Crop offers a straightforward way to trim unwanted edges. Additionally, the Content-Aware Fill, Clone Stamp, Magic Eraser, and Spot Healing Brush can intelligently erase unwanted areas.

A living room with lots of objects and furniture

An expert real estate photo editor can combine different post-processing techniques using these tools to get rid of unwanted parts of an image. Each feature has its strengths and limitations, so we only use the most appropriate tool depending on the specific requirements and desired outcome.

1. Lasso Tools

The Lasso tools offer a convenient way to trace and remove unwanted exterior objects from real estate images. The ability to make freeform segments is a convenient way to make targeted edits.

Pros

  • Precise selection of irregular or complex edges
  • Versatile for various shapes and sizes

Cons

  • Requires practice and skill for accurate selection
  • Can be time-consuming for intricate edges

Polygonal Lasso

The Polygonal Lasso is particularly useful for removing regularly shaped objects with straight edges and defined corners in real estate photo editing.

  1. Using the Polygonal Lasso, outline the edges and corners of the object by clicking to create anchor points.
  2. Make the first and last points overlap to close off the selection.
  3. Once the object is selected, you can easily remove it using the Cut or Delete tools. Note that removing the object will not reveal the background since it's a two-dimensional picture.

Magnetic Lasso

The Magnetic Lasso tool is an alternative feature for removing and editing objects with irregular shapes.

  1. Click and track the edges of the object until you reach the starting point to close off the selection.
  2. Once the object is selected, use the Pen or Remove tools to remove it from the image.
  3. Wait for the software to detect the edges and automatically snap the selection, even if your clicks are not perfectly aligned.

Standard Lasso

Some editors prefer a freehand selection. This is why the Standard Lasso is a favorite, especially for those who use a stylus or touch-screen monitor when post-processing real estate photos. This feature lets you create precise outlines around objects by manually tracing their edges.

  1. Launch the Standard Lasso from the toolbox. 
  2. Carefully trace around the unwanted objects or edges using the standard Lasso Tool, creating a freehand selection outline.
  3. Once the selection is complete, use the Pen or Remove command to remove the selected area from the shot.

A woman editing on the laptop

2. Crop Tool

In most editing applications, the Crop feature is one of the easiest ways to get rid of unnecessary edges or objects in real estate photos. You simply have to trim the image canvas to your desired size and composition.

Pros

  • Simple and straightforward to use
  • Precise control over rectangular or square crop areas

Cons

  • Limited to rectangular or square crop shapes
  • May remove desired portions of the photograph

Steps

  1. Adjust the crop area by dragging the handles or corners to the desired size and position.
  2. Utilize the aspect ratio options or enter custom dimensions to achieve the desired aspect ratio for your photos.
  3. Experiment with different crop orientations (landscape, portrait, or square) to find the most visually appealing composition that excludes any distracting objects or edges.

3. Clone Stamp

The Clone Stamp tool allows you to remove unwanted objects by sampling and cloning pixels from another area of the photo onto the target object. This is one of the best tools for blending pixels seamlessly into the surrounding area.

Pros

  • Useful for small or localized areas
  • Provides control over the blending and blending source

Cons

  • Can be time-consuming for larger or more complex edges
  • Potential inconsistencies or visible seams when not used properly

Steps

  1. Open the file and create a new layer.
  2. Pick the Clone Stamp tool from the toolbar or options bar.
  3. Position the cursor over the unwanted area you want to erase.
  4. Press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) until the cursor turns into a crosshair.
  5. Click on the area you want to sample or clone.
  6. Go to the options bar or corner, and adjust the Brush size or Opacity value to your desired value.
  7. Use the Clone Stamp to erase the unwanted corner or object.
  8. Wait for the selected section to be cloned or copied onto the unwanted object.
  9. Press Alt and click on a new area if you need to adjust the sampling point.

4. Magic Eraser

Using the Eraser is a simple way to erase specific color ranges of the edges in a picture by adjusting settings.

Pros

  • Quick and easy removal of solid-colored edges or backgrounds
  • Useful for basic cleanup of objects or corners

Cons

  • Limited functionality for precise or intricate removal of an item or corner
  • Not suitable for complex or textured edges

Steps

  1. Select the Magic Eraser from the toolbar.
  2. Set the Tolerance value to define the range of colors to be erased.
  3. Enable the Anti-Aliased option to smooth the edges of the erased area.
  4. Choose Contiguous to erase only the connected pixels, or deselect it to erase the matching colors.
  5. Check Sample All Layers to sample colors from all layers, or uncheck to sample only the current layer.
  6. Adjust the Opacity value to control the strength of the erasure.
  7. Click on the part of the layer you want to erase, and the feature will take out the specified color range.

A luxurious big house on the outside view

5. Spot Healing Brush Tool

The Healing Brush is an intelligent feature for detecting and removing small imperfections like spots and blemishes with a simple click. We commonly use this feature to fix imperfections caused by dirt, reflections, or light.

Pros

  • Intelligent blending of surrounding pixels
  • Useful for small or localized edge imperfections

Cons

  • Limited functionality for larger or more complex edges
  • May require additional touch-ups or manual editing

Steps

  1. Open your file and create a new layer for editing.
  2. Zoom in on the unwanted object you want to erase for better visibility.
  3. Select the Spot Healing Brush and choose the Content-Aware type.
  4. Brush over the object you want to take out of the picture, and it will automatically disappear.

6. Content-Aware Fill

The process involves selecting unwanted objects and removing them while sampling from the surrounding areas.

Pros

  • Intelligent algorithm analyzes and blends surrounding content
  • Seamless removal of the edges with minimal manual effort

Cons

  • May produce imperfect results in areas with complex textures or patterns
  • Limited control over the blending process

Steps

  1. Using the Object Selection, click on the unwanted objects to select them.
  2. Hold Shift and click on additional objects to add them to the selection.
  3. A selection border will appear around the selected objects.
  4. Choose Edit and click on Content-Aware Fill to preview the areas you want to be sampled for filling up the spaces left by the removed objects.
  5. Use "subtract from overlay area" sampling to exclude areas you don't want to be sampled.
  6. Set the Output to Duplicate Layer to preserve the original shot.
  7. Click OK to apply the filler and take out the selected objects.
  8. Right-click on the photo and choose Deselect to uncouple from the previous selection.
  9. Use brushes to clean up any lingering traces of the removed objects by dragging them over those areas.

What Are Unwanted Items in Real Estate Photos?

Lawn clutter, backyard items, basement junk, and messy items are some of the common unwanted items in real estate images. However, the perception of something that is desired or despised depends on individual taste, so make an effort to understand what your client wants to include or remove.

When Should I Remove Objects in Photos?

Object removal in real estate photos is recommended when imperfections or unwanted items detract from the appeal and visual representation of the property. It is often necessary to remove:

  • Clutter, such as toys, boxes, or personal belongings
  • Temporary or movable objects that obstruct key features
  • Blemishes, stains, or unsightly elements that can be easily edited out 

When Should I Not Remove Objects in Real Estate Photos?

While object removal can enhance the presentation of a property, it's important to maintain truthfulness and avoid misleading potential buyers. Refrain from removing:

  • Permanent structures, such as buildings, trees, or other immovable elements
  • Significant architectural features or design elements
  • Objects that would significantly alter the property's appearance or create a false representation

Adobe Photoshop on a laptop

Related Questions

What Does It Mean to Remove Unwanted Edges From a Picture?

Removing unwanted edges from a picture involves trimming or eliminating the outermost portions of the photo that are not desired or necessary. This process helps refine the image's composition and focus by removing distracting or irrelevant elements around the edges.

Which Tool Is Used to Delete a Part or the Whole Picture?

The Crop tool is commonly used to delete a part or the whole picture by selecting a specific area and discarding the rest of the photo. It allows you to precisely define the boundaries of the desired portion of the shot, effectively removing the unwanted areas.

What Software Can You Use to Remove an Unwanted Edge?

You can use GIMP, Adobe Photoshop, or Lightroom to cut the edges of a photo. GIMP can enlarge objects that are small so that they can be outlined and removed without affecting other parts of the picture. Adobe can automatically detect pixels that may be of interest to the area you wish to remove.

Which Photoshop Tool Is Used to Remove Unwanted Edges of an Image?

In Adobe Photoshop, the Crop, Lasso, Eraser, Clone Stamp, Content-Aware, and Brush tools are generally used to eliminate unwanted edges from a picture. These have features where you can refine the corners and make seamless edits.

Conclusion

Whether it's the Lasso, Crop, Content-Aware, Clone, Eraser, or Brush tool, our editors can remove unwanted edges or objects in your real estate photos using various techniques. With this post-processing step, you can achieve a polished, clutter-free look in your images that will attract potential buyers and help your clients sell listings faster.

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