Preparing Your Home For a Photoshoot

The objective of having your home professionally photographed is to present your home to a worldwide audience in a positive, complimentary way. Since the vast majority of home-buyers get their 'first impressions' of new listings while performing online searches, our job is to do everything possible to create interest by enhancing its visual appearance. We want to turn lookers into buyers and experience has demonstrated that showing a clean, inviting home is the best way to attract customers. In a competitive marketplace, it's essential.

Thankfully, you have chosen a true professional, marketing Agent to sell your home.

Here are a few tips that that will help you to prepare for your photoshoot. The following suggestions should to be addressed prior to your appointment:

Exteriors

1. Move all vehicles away from the house. This includes cars, boats, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, trailers, etc. Do not park anything directly in front of the house.

2. If needed, mow the lawn, rake the leaves, and trim the bushes.

3. Move all trash cans out of sight. They can be placed inside the garage or moved to the curb in font of the house.

4. Eliminate any and all visual distractions from the yard. Things like lawnmowers, yard tools, unwrapped hoses, ladders, car parts, plastic bottles, bags and jugs, need to be hidden. 

5. Porches and decks should be swept and clean. Outdoor furniture should be arranged tastefully and patio umbrellas opened. Remove any clutter.

6. Please close the garage door.

7. Remove any security service signs from around the house.

Interiors

1. Declutter! Clean off the kitchen sink and countertops, bathroom sinks, tops of dressers, refrigerators, bookcases, desks, and tables. Less is more.

2. Make all beds, vacuum the carpets, and hide ALL clothes -including coats hanging in the hallway and on the back of all doors, exposed shoes and shoe racks, and bathrobes hanging on the back of doors.

3. Remove ALL refrigerator magnets.

4. Remove and store all baby-gates.

5. Put away all dishes in the sink. Hide all sponges, dish rags, soap bottles, drain stoppers, and paper towels. Remove all refrigerator magnets.

6. If your shower is to be featured, please clean it out. No bottles, sponges, or soaps.

7. All toilet seats need to be in the down position.

8. Hide all trash cans.

9. Turn off all ceiling fans, turn on all lights.

10. If contractors are present, please have them wait inside their vehicles until the shoot has been completed.

Pets

According to statistics when potential, online home-searchers see any evidence of pets being present in the home, 76% of them simply click through to the next listing. Sometimes these folks have legitimate pet allergies as others seem make broad assumptions based on very little information. With all the effort and expense involved in effectively marketing your home, we do not want to you to lose 76% of anything, especially potential buyers. Please hide ALL pet toys, beds, food bowls, leashes, and litter boxes. Pets need to be sequestered during the entire shoot. 

Storage Suggestions

Normally, photos are not taken in unfinished areas of the house. Although there are plenty of exceptions, garages, storage sheds, closets, master bath toilet rooms, and hall bathroom showers are usually not photographed. They make great places to store things temporarily. In some extreme situations, it's better to use one room as an un-photographed storage room than it is to have visual distractions throughout the house. Consult with your agent. Please contact your agent if you need to discuss this further in-depth.