Your final finished images will work overtime to help your efforts to get your property noticed. How you prepare for photos and how you maintain your home during the sale process, may be quite different, and the suggestions that follow are intended for photos only. Once all your care and preparation and the beauty of your property is captured in bright, cheerful images, potential buyers will have them at their fingertips to review again and again. Remember the last time you may have visited one or two or maybe more properties, and later couldn't remember details and tried to recall which home had which feature? Or possibly your home had a showing and you return to find you had forgotten to make the beds. Take comfort knowing your great images will allow your clients to browse at their leisure, and see everything at its very best.
What areas are Photographed: All living areas will be photographed, and images will be enhanced to make sure everything is well lit and cheerful, with a cozy warm fire in fireplaces, and an inviting blue sky for the all-important front image. Photography inside garages, closets, and basements is optional and agreed upon between homeowner and agent. Just advise of any special requests to capture detail items, or omit collector or personal items. Your photographer is bonded and insured, and is equipped with access to realtor keybox for entry and securing the home once complete.
Below is a compact list for Preparing for Photos and may assist in homeowner preparation.
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expanded Checklist for preparing for your photos:
Exteriors: Cars need to be parked at least 20 ft from the front of the house, garage doors must be closed, and yard lights look best on, even in daylight. Tidy yards are so important. Check for garden hoses or other common items that may look nicer when neatly coiled or removed. Grass should be recently cut, landscape areas near the home checked for weeds, bushes and flowers trimmed if needed. Arrange cushions on patio furniture, and if you have patio umbrellas they look great in the up position. Potted flowers are a cheerful touch in season. If interested in requesting DRONE images, consider visibility issues due to tree cover, or condition of roofing or neighboring property.
Interiors - Lighting, Personal Items, and Final Prep: Light makes your home sparkle and can't be underrated. All overhead lights and lamps on, and check for burned out bulbs. Ceiling fans should be off so the blades won't look blurry. Open all curtains to let that cheerful natural light in, and open blinds with slats level to let in the view or lift entirely to the top. Consider removing larger personal photos that will be recognizable in your images, or ask for them to blurred. You will benefit from removing highly unusual or controversial items that may attract too much attention. We want buyers to focus instead on the inviting space and layout of your home. On the day of the shoot, freshly dust and wipe down table tops as the camera really enhances gleaming surfaces. Remove any door mats to show off flooring, and be sure to stash shoes and coats inside closets to make your entryways look spacious and inviting. Hide any high value collectibles, jewelry, firearms, or other items you prefer not to be in photos.
Kitchens and Baths: These are the most challenging rooms. Counters just look larger when mostly clear, so show them off! Open space on counters instantly conveys the feeling of cleanliness and plentiful storage. Tuck away smaller appliances and other items that may be crowding the counter space. Kitchen appliances are an important consideration of the sale, so show them off as well by removing magnets, calendars and notes, or towels. Always move inside cabinets any medicine bottles, Kleenex boxes, all cleaning items such as soaps and paper towels, personal grooming items such as toothbrushes and shaving gear, lotions and shampoo bottles. Bathroom counters are best virtually bare. Small scatter rugs, waste baskets, etc., must be removed to allow buyers to see the flooring. Fresh towels for baths is a winning option, and some folks will buy plush new white towels just for the shoot. Newly polished counter tops, mirrors, and shower doors are an inviting last detail.
Bedrooms: Be sure to smooth and straighten bedding since it is a main focal point in all bedrooms. Items under the bed should be tucked back out of sight, and double check that blankets and sheets aren’t peaking out beneath bedspreads. Any clothing or shoes is best moved inside closets. Stash any medical items or other personal items, so that bedside tables are mostly clear.
Staging Winners: While you will benefit from having most surfaces clear, don’t overlook the chance to add some welcoming touches. Winners include fresh flowers, baked cookies or a fancy cake, a bowl of colorful fruit or veggies, attractive coffee table books, white towels in the bath.
Pets: No one loves animals more than me, but your buyers may have allergies, etc. It is best to hide pet bowls, beds, and toys to insure those buyers do not eliminate your home from consideration. We can usually just move those items as we go from room to room.
Keep it Easy as Possible: A last note, some preparation can be simpler than you may think. We do not normally photograph smaller closets, garages, unfinished basements, etc., unless you have a feature that you wish to be shown. Kitchen sinks and bathtubs are handy places to stash bottles and small items, even inside dishwashers or ovens. In other rooms behind an open door can work for stashing scatter rugs or waste baskets, or behind a couch cushion is a handy place to store remote controls and other small items. Keep these spaces in mind as these and other creative places out of camera view can make stowing away extra items quick and easier to replace once photos are finished. Additionally vacuuming and window washing is often something that will not show one way or the other. If you have windows facing a sunny backdrop, that may warrant washing, but often the camera does not show that level of detail on glass the sun is not shining through. You will see in the final images that all the preparation will be well worth it!