If you are like most people who plan to list their home for sale, you may wonder how to prepare your home for a listing photo shoot. High-quality, professional real estate photos go a long way for making a great first impression and help potential buyers get an idea of what the house looks like inside and out. Therefore, it is crucial to showcase your property in the most attractive ways possible. To do this, you need to do a little preparation ahead of time to make sure the real estate photographer can capture the beauty of your home.
Real Estate Photoshoot Checklist
When you’re ready to list your home, it can be a bit of a challenge to get the house looking its best. If you want to avoid some common pitfalls, there are some important steps that you should take before the listing photoshoot! This real estate photo checklist will discuss how to prep your home for a listing photoshoot and what not to do when trying to make your house look good in pictures.
De-Personalize the Entire Property
It's a common misconception that buyers want to walk into their new house and feel like it's theirs. Unfortunately, this is not the case as most people are looking for an empty slate on which they can start fresh without any trace of previous owners. Go throughout the entire property and remove personal items.
For example, you should remove any pictures of family members or other sentimental items from the walls and replace them with art prints or posters. Also, change out all of your towels with new ones so it doesn't look as though you live there anymore. Similarly, remove hygiene items from the bathrooms, toys from rooms, wind chimes from the patio, and anything else that is considered a personal item.
Remove All Evidence of Your Furry Friends
Pets are man's best friend, but they can also be a home seller’s worst enemy. When you list your home for sale with pictures of the beloved family pet running around in the yard and lounging on the furniture, prospective buyers may find this disheartening for various reasons.
For example, photos like these make people think you will leave behind dirt, smells, and dander that need to be cleaned up. After all, some people have severe allergies, and seeing a photo of a pet may turn them off right away. So please be sure to put them in the garage, a vehicle (as long as it’s not too hot that day), or drop them off at a friend's house. Additionally, you'll want to remove any evidence of them, such as dog houses, bags of food, bedding, feeding dishes, etc.
Give the Photographer an Unoccupied Space
If possible, prepare to leave home for a little while. Because of the sensitive equipment and time it takes to capture exquisite real estate photos and videos, it can be beneficial to leave the house for a while. To avoid distracting the photographer and allow them the freedom of movement to capture the best images, consider giving them an unoccupied space. The last thing you want is to step into the shot and ruin it accidentally! The more comfortable and unencumbered the photographer feels during the shoot, the better quality pictures will be taken for you!
Remove Floor Coverings
Even if you plan on staging your home with a professional stager, it's best to let buyers see as much of the original floor as possible. In order to get an accurate representation of what the flooring really looks like, remove any floor coverings such as mats, area rugs, and runners. This will allow for better light reflection and show more detail in the photos. Plus, when someone moves into your home after buying it from you they'll probably have their own floor coverings anyway! And, you won’t give the impression that you may be trying to hide imperfections such as gouges, stains, or other damage.
Clean, Clean, Clean!
Do a thorough inspection of the home and property and pay attention to details! Make sure the windows and mirrors are spotless, the walls and other surfaces are free from scuffs and smudges, and countertops are clutter-free. If you have tile on the floors or countertops, be sure to clean the grout. Wash all your dishes and put them away in the cabinet.
Look for grime that has built up in the corners of the floor. Remove water spots from faucets and grime rings from around the tub. Close toilet seats and shower doors. While you don’t necessarily need to pass a white-glove inspection, the most important thing to keep in mind is that visible dirt and grime is going to really stand out in photos.
Let There Be Light!
The way light can affect a space is one of the most important factors in real estate photography. Good lighting can highlight the best features and make any home seem instantly more welcoming, while bad lighting will do just the opposite. The lighting in your photos should be natural whenever possible, and make sure there are no shadows on the walls or floor that will distract from the space you're trying to show off.
To achieve the perfect lighting conditions, open up all the blinds and curtains to let as much natural light in as possible. Check all lights and lamps to make sure there are no burnt-out bulbs. The photographer will probably want all of the lights turned on to enhance the photos, so opt for bulbs that give off a warm, natural glow. If you have a fireplace, ask the photographer if they want you to light a fire.
Declutter Spaces
Clutter can make even large rooms appear smaller than they are. Be sure to remove all clutter and personal items. There should be no visible laundry baskets, magnets on the fridge, stacks of papers/books/magazines, piles of shoes, unnecessary furniture, etc. Aim to open up spaces to maximize the appearance of lots of room.
Additionally, large items such as floor fans, portable air conditioners, vacuums, and other large objects need to be put away in a closet or garage. However, decluttering doesn’t have to mean completely stripping down the space. Some items, like candles, attractive plants, and generic knick-knacks can help maintain a warm and inviting ambiance.
Trash is Just Plain Unsightly
All trash cans in the kitchen, bathrooms, office, etc., should be in the garage or closet. Additionally, all outdoor trash/recycling bins should be stored away in the garage or moved to an area out of sight. If you have rented a large dumpster for home remodeling projects, be sure to schedule your photoshoot after it has been removed. Similarly, if you have rented large storage/moving pods, you don’t want them around when the photographer gets there.
Turn off Electric Items That Move
Electrical appliances will inevitably show up in your pictures and it's important to make sure they don't distract from the rest of the photo. To get the best HDR real estate listing photos, you want to make sure all electrical appliances that could create motion in the photo are turned off or unplugged. This includes ceiling fans, TVs/computer monitors, clocks, decorative lights, or anything else that has motion.
Make Your Beds!
Give your bed a quick makeover to take it from messy to perfect for real estate photos. Your sheets should be neatly tucked under, with no wrinkles or bunches. This part is sometimes overlooked, especially in kid's rooms. Ensure that all bedding is in excellent condition, sheets/blankets match, and consider adding some decorative pillows to make rooms look even cozier!
Keep in mind the goal is to do your best to tie the room together, but there’s no need to break the bank! If you don’t want to invest in completely new bedding, there are a few inexpensive items you can pick up to cover your old bedding. For example, consider using a duvet cover that matches with some of the other items in the room.
Boost the Appeal of the Front & Back Yards
Be sure to mow the lawn, prune shrubs/trees, pull weeds, rake leaves, and remove animal waste right before the photographer arrives. Clutter in the yard can turn off prospective buyers, so hide items like bags of soil, garden hoses, lawn decorations, toys, random chairs, yard care equipment, etc. If possible, repair small imperfections, wash the mud off the plaster/siding, replace broken gutters or screens, and wiping down windowsills. Additionally, you can spread fresh mulch around trees and use eco-friendly green paint to touch up brown spots in the yard.
Showcase Nice Items in Your Yard
You don't need to remove everything from your yard. For example, if you have a nice grill in the backyard, remove the cover and open it up. If you have an umbrella or retractable awning, open it up! Toss a few pillows onto patio loungers and chairs. Set a pitcher of lemonade and a few glasses on the patio table.
Perhaps you have a pool or spa. In this case, be sure to remove any coverings, clean it, and remove security gates, if possible. Or, maybe there's a nice playset for the kids. Feel free to add a few fairy lights to add ambiance and capture the feeling of a comfortable family home. Use your imagination to add a touch of home without making it too personal.
Hide Your Rides & Toys
Move all vehicles out of the garage and driveway and park them down the street a little. The same goes for RVs, boats, ATVs, bicycles, etc. The photographer must be able to capture the condition of the garage and driveway. Doing this also gives prospective buyers the ability to imagine their own cars and toys in the yard, not yours.
Be Prepared to Reschedule
There are some factors you should be aware of that may necessitate rescheduling. For example, if the weather or lighting is not optimal, you're not going to get the best photos. Similarly, if the photographer is using a drone, it's impossible to fly in rainy conditions. Therefore, you should be open to the idea if the photographer suggests rescheduling and leave a block of time available for another visit.
Need Help Preparing for a Real Estate Photoshoot?
As you can see, there is a lot to think about before the day of your listing photo shoot. Call us if you need help with any aspect of this process-we're happy to provide both general advice and specific guidance for each step in preparing your home for the perfect pictures!