A Preparation Guide
Preparing your home for listing photos can be stressful, but with this guide, you'll be well on your way to creating a space that stands out. From personal experience, homes that follow these tips often sell faster than those that are cluttered or unclean. Potential buyers are less likely to overlook a messy home and may move on to the next option. A professional photo shoot typically takes around two hours, so it's essential to plan accordingly. By ensuring your home is ready, you'll not only expedite the selling process but also minimize stress for both you and the photographer during the session.
Interiors
- Closets, pantry, and the garage are generally not photographed, so these are great places to hide away clutter.
- If renovated - clean and put away any renovation equipment, tape, or any trace that a reno team was there.
- If there any features of the home that are not obvious, let the photographer know so that we can include them in the shoot.
- Clear off counter tops in the kitchen and bathroom areas.
- Remove photos, notes, and papers from refrigerator.
- Remove any personal photos you don't feel comfortable with the internet seeing.
- Declutter rooms that may be excessively furnished; they do not photograph well.
- Turn ceiling fans and televisions off.
- Make beds and tidy bedrooms. Make sure all clothes are hung up or out of sight.
- Remove floor mats and runners.
- Replace burned out lightbulbs, and make sure they match color temperature with other lightbulbs in the same room.
- Keep pets and pet items in the garage or out of sight.
- Place all indoor trashcans out of view in a closet or cupboard.
Exteriors
- Remove all vehicles from driveways and do not park directly in front of the house. If garbage cans are visible, please remove them so they cannot be seen from the street.
- Remove all garden tools including hoses and sprinklers - mow and rake lawn.
- Sweep or blow off driveways, sidewalks, and patios.
- Place garbage bins inside garage so they are not seen.
- Remove grill or barbecue covers.
- Open up patio umbrellas.
Final Thoughts
As a photographer, I can only do so much in Photoshop. The best results are always achieved when the place looks ready and good to go in person. Imagine that you want to have it looking in open house condition. Can you move stuff around while the photographer is there? If it can be avoided at all; sometimes clutter can be seen from angles from an adjacent room. Plus the extra effort and time of having to move things around always exponentially increases the time on location.
