Prepare your home for Photographs

Prepare your home for Real Estate Media!

This page is designed to help homeowners work through the steps involved when preparing their home for real estate photographs. The goal of this content is to help homeowners get as many showings as possible, and in turn, get as many offers on their home as possible!

The videos will walk you through the steps involved while the text below each video will provide high level guidelines for each step, which can easily be referenced when working on preparing your house!

The Steps are:

1. Depersonalizing & Decluttering

2. Cleaning

3. Staging

4. Last minute prep and what to expect during the photoshoot

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Introduction Video - What to expect from this course!

There are no general guidelines to the introduction video. However, work through each step before moving to the next one. Feel free to watch each video first to know what kind of timeline is needed but it’s advised you finish the step your on before moving to the next step!

Step 1: Decluttering and Depersonalizing

Depersonalize: Take the home out of the house!

Remove all personal photos
Remove hobby or personal collections
Remove kids artwork (if there is a lot)

Declutter: Hide/get rid of 30% – 50% of your stuff

Remove all clutter from the fridge
Hide clutter from countertops and shelves
Remove Holiday decorations
If you don’t need the items before getting photographs, get rid of them. Unless it adds value to the space.

“Where do I put my stuff?”

Garage
Storage Room
Closet
Family or friends house

Step 2: Cleaning your house

These tips are specific for what the camera notices when they aren’t clean, more than just general cleaning tips. Don’t feel like you have to stop after these steps, but you should focus on the following things when planning to get your house photographed.

General Cleaning Tips:

Focus on cleaning and vacuuming your floors.
Clean the windows if they are dirty – don’t hurt yourself if you can’t access the outside windows. It’s not worth it.
Wipe down and dust surfaces and light fixtures.

Room-by-Room Tips:

Kitchen:

Wipe down the front surfaces and tops of your appliances.
Clean your sink faucet and the top of the sink.

Entryway:

Clean your front door – Clean the outside and inside of your door.

Bathroom:

Windex your mirror
Clean the sink faucet and the sink.
BONUS – If you have a glass shower door, windex and clean the door of water spots.

Living Room:

Dust and clean your ceiling fan (this goes for every ceiling fan in your house).

Bedrooms:

For now, the general cleaning tips is usually a good spot to start.
Because you live in a bedroom, just make a habit of your clothes being in a dirty basket and hidden in a closet if possible. You will pick up the bedroom in step 4, which is last minute prep.

Laundry Room:

Wipe down your washer and dryer from any lint on the units.
Hide/organize your laundry cleaning supplies.

Step 3: Staging

This is for the homeowner who is living at the home they are selling. This is not a video/guide to how to stage an empty home!

Tips When Staging:

Less is More
Neutralize your Space
Take Out Personality

The Goal: Flatter a Space without being too obvious about what you’re trying to do!

Make each space feel like the room it’s supposed to be – an office should feel like a place to work, a bedroom should feel like a space to sleep, try to define each space and remove anything that doesn’t help achieve that feeling.

Things to Consider:

Is your entryway warm and inviting? It’s your first impression inside the house, so make sure it’s well lit and welcoming.
Area rugs are good but runner rugs, sink and toilet rugs hide the floor. Remove them!
Focus on Freshness! – Bowl of fruit, fresh flowers or green plants can give your house a fresh feel even through photographs.
Make sure all your light fixtures have all the light bulbs. Don’t leave random sockets empty.
Each room should have 1 main subject (2 max). A splash of color, a large photo, some cool texture is all a room needs!
Adjust furniture if needed!

Staging the Outside:

Remove garden hoses and trash cans from the front of the house.
Mow the lawn and rake leaves a day or two before the photoshoot.
Don’t water your lawn the day of the photoshoot. Do it the day before if possible.
If it’s winter, shovel the driveway and salt if it’s icy. Make it easy to get to the front door!
Prepare a pool or spa with enough time to make sure it looks good during photos.

Step 4: Last Minute Prep and the Photoshoot

24 Hours Before the Photoshoot!

Curb Appeal:

Mow lawn the day before if needed and rake any leaves.
Water the lawn the day before if needed. Watering the day of causes water spots on driveways and sidewalks.
Hide your garbage cans and garden hoses.
Shovel your driveway if it’s winter.

Inside the House:

Declutter last minute things – less is always more.
Hide any cords; from TVs, charging cords, computer/console(s), etc.
Hide garbage cans – kitchen, office, bathroom, etc.
Pick up all clothing – coat, socks, shoes, shirts, etc.
Pick up all toiletries
- Don’t forget plunger and toilet bowl cleaner.

Morning of your Photoshoot!

Make your bed!!
Remove everything from nightstands (except lamps).
Hide any last minute clothes and towels.
Remove any bath mats, runner rugs, etc. Showcase the floors!!
- Entryway rug is okay!
Hide any soaps, sponges, rags, etc.
Kennel your pets or bring them to a friends/families house.
Hide any pet toys, food, beds, etc.

Right before the photoshoot and the photoshoot itself!

Turn on all the lights in the house!
Open all the blinds.
Turn off all ceiling fans.
If you have time, dust, wipe down appliances, vacuum if needed.
Move your car into the garage or down the street. Don’t have it in the driveway or in front of the home on the street.

During the photoshoot: