The #1 marketing tool we have when selling your home are the professional photographs. Nearly every buyer will begin searching for their next home online and it is imperative we capture their attention and interest with clean, bright and beautiful photos. It’s time to roll up your sleeves and get your home ready for its photo shoot!
Throughout The Home
- Clean your windows, inside and out.
Not only do windows let in a tremendous amount of natural light, they’ll show up in every single picture. Fog and water spots will certainly show and it makes the home look unkempt. - Declutter and then declutter again!
Here’s your chance to start packing. You’re moving anyway so use this as an opportunity to get items off of counters and into boxes. - Replace any burned out light bulbs.
Your interior lights will be on for each photo and burned out lightbulbs are very noticeable in photos. Plus, every bit of light will help make your photographs look stunning. - Hide any wires that may be exposed.
Do you have a cable hanging down from your TV? Are there any cords coming from lamps across the floor? Be sure to tidy those up so they do not show in the photos.
The Outside of the Home
- Move your vehicles.
It is incredibly important to move your vehicles away from the property. If we are ordering aerial photographs, you’ll need to park quite far away so your cars do not show up in the shot. - Give the lawn special attention.
Make sure the grass is freshly mowed for photos. It is worth it to have your landscaper come the day before photos to ensure your lawn and landscaping looks perfect. - De-cob the whole home.
Cobwebs around the home and under the soffit are very common but should never be in photos. Spend a little time ensuring your home is free of cobwebs. - Hide your trash cans.
We all have trashcans—we just don’t want to see them in professional real estate photos! Generally, we won’t take pictures of the garage interior so stow those cans away. - Hide your pool toys and equipment.
Have inflatables laying around? Have the pool vacuum and hoses on the pool deck? Move all of that to the garage. - Sweep your driveway.
Pine straw looks good as mulch but it doesn’t look good in your driveway. Give the driveway a fresh sweep and your exterior photos will look that much better.
The Kitchen
- Declutter your counters.
We all have coffee pots, toasters, blenders and other small appliances on our counters. Put them all away! Your counters should be completely free of appliances and cooking utensils to show off the amount of neat and decluttered space your kitchen offers. - Take down your refrigerator magnets.
A refrigerator free of magnets and papers looks so much nicer in professional photographs. - Clean each appliance.
Your appliances should be clean and free of streaks. Take some time to clean those glass-top ranges and bring the shine of your stainless steel appliances back.
Bedrooms
- Make your beds.
This one seems obvious but it is important to note that beds must be made well. Pull those comforters tight so your bedrooms look more like a nice hotel suite. - Hide laundry hampers and other non-essentials.
Your bedrooms should only have furniture in them for photographs. Hampers, guitars or any extraneous item should be hidden away. - Straighten the shelves.
If you have shelving in your bedrooms, simply make sure it is decluttered.
Bathrooms
- Declutter the counters.
Absolutely nothing should be on your bathroom counters. Even soap dispensers should be hidden away. - Make the shower door sparkle.
The hardest part of any bathroom to clean is your shower door and it has to be perfect. Invest some time getting it clear and sparkly. - Iron your towels.
Perfect towels hanging on towel bars make bathrooms look inviting. If you need to iron them to get them perfect, spend that time! - Empty your shower or tub.
We all have soap and shampoo bottles in our shower but make sure they’re removed for photos. - Clean your mirrors.
Mirrors free of streaks will certainly help your photos shine!
The Family and Living Areas
- Declutter twice!
Your living areas may have remote controls, magazines, coasters and that sort of thing. Move it away for photos. - Clean up shelving.
Again, you’re moving. If you have shelving and it looks cluttered, pack it up. - Vacuum.
Have carpet? Give it a fresh once-over with the vacuum. - Take out the trash(cans).
If you have trash cans in the living areas, remove them.
Just Before the Photographer Arrives
Your photographer is on her way so it’s time to do the final steps to have your home look fantastic. Help the photographer out by:
- Turn on every light.
If it lights up, turn it on! Even turn on the light under the microwave! Every single light in your home needs to be on. - Turn off every fan.
Fans moving in photos will create a blur that distracts viewers from the natural beauty of your home. Turn them all off.
It’s Not That Hard!
With so much riding on your listing photos, it is imperative that you take a bit of time to make your home absolutely perfect for the camera. Our team always goes in and checks and we’ve certainly done our fair share of moving things around to get the perfect shot. You can see it in our listings.
Ready to Sell?
We would love the opportunity to interview for the job of selling your property. As you can see, we live for this! Please reach out to schedule a time for us to talk about your needs and to get to know one-another. You can contact us here.