Getting ready for your photo shoot
Great photos start before we walk in. A home that is clean, decluttered, and lit photographs bigger and brighter, and it sells the listing faster. Send this list to your seller when you book, ideally a week ahead. If the home is not ready when we arrive, we will do our best, but a return trip is $75.
The week before
- Mow the lawn and tidy the landscaping. Curb appeal is the first photo buyers see.
- Pressure wash the house and driveway if they need it.
- Wash the windows and clean the front porch.
- Clean the pool if there is one.
- Declutter every room. Take out excess furniture and knick-knacks so rooms feel open.
- Depersonalize. Family photos, names, and collections come down so buyers picture themselves there.
- Replace any burned-out light bulbs, and make sure bulbs in a room are all the same color.
- Take up rugs and runners in the kitchen, entryways, and bathrooms so the floors show.
- Put seasonal decor away.
The day of, inside
- Turn on every light and lamp.
- Open all blinds and curtains.
- Clear the counters completely (soap, sponges, dishes, paper towels, all of it) and wipe them down.
- Make every bed, and fluff the pillows.
- Close all toilet lids. Take everything out of the shower and tub. Hang fresh towels.
- Hide the trash cans.
- Turn off TVs and computers, and put the remotes away.
- Turn off ceiling fans (they blur in photos).
- Put pet bowls, beds, toys, and litter boxes out of sight.
- Vacuum the carpets and mop or polish the hard floors.
- Take magnets and stickers off the refrigerator.
- A simple centerpiece or place settings on the dining table photographs well. A few attractive books or magazines on a coffee table work too.
The day of, outside
- Move all cars out of the driveway and away from the front of the house.
- Put garbage and recycling bins in the garage, out of view.
- Coil and store garden hoses.
- Clean the grill, or store it and its accessories.
- Take pool cleaners and pool toys out.
- Sweep leaves and debris off porches, patios, and walkways.
- Put fresh cushions on the patio furniture.
Booking drone or twilight? The roof, yard, and driveway all show from the air, so the outside list matters twice as much. For a twilight shoot, turn on every light in the house, including porch and landscape lights, just before sunset.
Questions about getting a home ready: