PREPARING THE PROPERTY FOR PHOTOS
Here are some helpful tips to get the home photo-ready. The first thing is to make sure there are no vehicles in the driveway or in the street in front of your home. Park down the street or in the garage prior to the Photographer’s arrival. The front of your home is very important when taking photos as it will be the first shot on MLS.
OVERALL:
- Remove any LARGE pieces of furniture in small rooms. Sometimes a large couch in a small room can hurt the photo and make the room feel smaller than it is.
- Turn on all the lights in the home and replace any bulbs that are out.
- Clean the windows, shower doors, mirrors, and anything that shows dirt on it.
Kitchen:
- Remove items on the fridge doors, sides, and top.
- Clear off the kitchen counters and de-clutter any large items.
- Clean appliances and keep the sink empty and clean.
- Leaving nice, clean–looking small appliances are okay.
- Bowls of fresh fruit or cut flowers are a nice touch on the counters.
Dining Room:
- Remove any clutter and dust.
- Set the table with place settings, colorful plates, and wine glasses – make it look like you’re going to have a dinner party. If you don’t have fancy dishes, leave it clear with a nice centerpiece, candle, or flowers.
Main Rooms:
- Reduce clutter and help the rooms look large and clean.
- Remove all trash cans (all rooms).
- Hide tissue boxes.
- Take down any family portraits or expensive paintings you do not want to be photographed.
- Large empty walls do not look appealing to buyers. Buy decent frames for staging purposes.
- Clear up any wires or cords if possible, behind the TV, stereo, or electronics.
- Put away children’s or animal toys and pet bowls.
- Define the spaces. Make them what they should be and decorate them accordingly.
- Keep the fireplace off. We will put a beautiful flame in it during our editing process.
Bathrooms:
- Clean showers inside and out.
- Place your best towels on the racks, folded neatly.
- Remove any soap dispensers, and shampoo from the shower and sinks – clean the toilet and put the seat down. Remove toothbrushes and everything on the sink.
- Remove any hanging door racks, bags, sweaters, etc…
Bedrooms:
- Makeup all the beds with your best linens and decorative pillows.
- Pick up any clothes or items from the floors.
- Open shades or window curtains and tie them back if needed.
Outside Areas:
- Put away garden hoses, tools, shovels, toys, basketball nets, and anything that should not be outside. Pick up dog poop.
- Turn on water features – hot tubs, pools, fountains, etc. and act like you’re about to have guests.
Extra Things to consider:
- Replace dead plants.
- Do not have animals running around during the shoot.
- Clean pools of debris and clean around the areas.
- Clean deck of debris and clean, power wash or new stain if needed.
- Paint outside trim or spots that show badly.
- Power wash the driveway to remove stains or large oil spots.
- Hide trash and recycle bins in the garage or back of the home.
That’s It! Please take your time to do these items to the best of your ability.
Doing this will make a significant difference in the outcome of the photos. The goal is to have your home look spacious and inviting so potential buyers want to see it.
The photographer will not move anything in your home but will help with suggestions. Sometimes just moving a piece of furniture into storage, basement, or garage can make a big difference for buyers when seeing your home in the photos and especially in person.
Hint: For a last-minute pick-up, throw everything in laundry baskets and hide them in closets.
Thank you and please reach out with any questions or concerns.