We hope you find this list helpful in preparing for your photo shoot of your home.  Following these simple steps will ensure that the shoot goes smoothly. 

 

We try to take multiple photos of the primary living spaces from various angles if possible.  If you can see an item that isn’t “photogenic” from any direction, so can the camera.

 

Please let me know in advance if there are any special amenities (hidden spaces, basements, community amenities, tesla chargers).

 

• We expect the home to be photo ready upon arrival.  

• We ask that only one family member or agent be home/available to handle any requests by the photographer to move items, etc.

• Photographer will not be moving personal items.

• We are touching as few things as possible.  Please turn on ALL lights and turn all ceiling fans OFF.

• Shut commode lids, remove toiletries and personal hygiene items from sinks/counters/bathtubs/ showers, etc.

 

General:

• Remove pet food/water bowls / litter boxes / pet beds and toys.

• Remove pets from the area we are shooting and from windows / sliding doors so that they are not “photo-bombing” us.

• Use lint roller on furniture to remove pet hair.

• Put away all small personal items (hand bags, hand-held mobile devices i.e. phones, Kindles, i-pads, laptops).

• Depersonalize the space - remove personal photos, name decals, etc. if possible.

• Turn off all TVs, laptops, and computers.

• Preferably, we would like to see all window blinds open (unless there is a view thru the window that interferes with the image, i.e., construction debris, trash cans, fences near the windows, etc.) We will access once we arrive on site for services.

• Remove inside floor mats at front door, kitchen sink, and bathrooms.   If you have tiles floors, we especially want to be able to show off the flooring if possible.

• Make sure all light bulbs are working, replace any bulbs that are blown out. Make sure all bulbs match if possible. Compact florescent bulbs produce a truer white light and preferred for photographs vs. traditional incandescent bulbs which have a yellow/orange glow.

• Turn on all lights in the home. AND, turn OFF all ceiling fans.

• Holiday decorations are beautiful; however, they will “Date” your photo, as well as adding items that distract prospective buyers from seeing thru the decorations to the architecture and the homes features.  The longer the home is on the market, the photos are a tell-tale indicator.  Consider keeping your home “neutral” until after our photo shoot.

 

Interior - General:

• Store laundry baskets in a closet.

• Please WAIT to tag items until after the photo shoot.

• Remove shoes, hats, jackets from the entry way.  Store them in a closet so that they are not in photos from any direction.

• Hide all wires and cables.  If a wire is stretched then please unplug the appliance and hide the wires. This is only temporary, and makes a huge difference in your photos.

• Remove stacks of magazines, papers, mail, etc.

• De-clutter fireplace mantel/hearth (no more than 5 items, including art)

• Clean interior of fireplace and re-paint if needed.

• Clean all mirrors

• Fluff and arrange furniture pillows

• Remove kids’ toys and pet items from the floor, organize them or store them in a closet.

• Open blinds and window treatments all to the same height if possible to take advantage of the light and the scenery if available.

 

Kitchen / Dining Room:

• Set your kitchen / dining table to create a warm and inviting atmosphere.

• Remove all clutter from kitchen countertops and sinks. Put away dishes, pots & pans, cleaning supplies, dishtowels, etc.

• Remove magnets, notes, business cards, artwork from the refrigerator.

• Remove floor rugs and mats.

• Remove towels from cabinets and over/range.

• Hide your trash cans

 

Bedrooms, Nurseries & Kid’s Rooms:

• Make the beds before I arrive

• Remove personalized names from walls

• Remove wall stickers/posters

• Remove diaper genies

• Clean under bed, removing items that may show in the photos

 

Bathrooms:

• Please remove toilet brushes, cleaning supplies, toiletries and various sundry items.

• Remove laundry, bathrobes, towels from backs of doors, shower rods, etc.

• Custom tiled bathrooms make great photos to get a buyer’s interest. Remove ALL shampoos, bottles, razors, bath toys.

• Shut ALL potty lids.

• DO NOT Hide laundry in the bathtub or shower (it usually will show up in the mirror reflection).

 

Garage:

• We usually do not take photos of garages, especially if they are full of boxes and clutter.  If your garage has built-ins, painted floors, or is empty and we can show off the size, then it may be photographed.

• We do not shoot photos with collector automobiles, jet skis, hot rods, motorcycles, 4 wheelers, scooters, large lawn mowers, etc.   

 

Closets:

• Generally speaking, we do not photography closets. However, primary bedroom closets are sometimes an exception. If your closet(s) are neat, roomy, with built-ins like closet maid systems, please have them tidy and organized for a photo.

 

Exterior:

• GRASS:  Grass dies on the tops when it is first cut.  It may be best to not cut your lawn the day I am scheduled to arrive.  The grass will wilt and not show well in the photographs – especially if we are doing aerial photos.

• Remove cars from the driveway and from in front of the home if possible.

• Remove trash cans from the front of the home, to a discrete location not visible for exterior photos front and rear.

• Clean off the front, as I always try to get a photo of the front door as a welcoming photo of your home.

• Fresh paint on doors, shutters and trim makes a world of difference !

• Clean out gutters and removed tree limbs, twigs, leaves from the gutters and roof.

• If you’re packing, suggest that you put the items in storage prior to the shoot.  I do not move boxes, and our scheduling does not allow time for moving lots of items / boxes during the shoot.

• If you are considering getting a personal storage unit, such as a POD, consider carefully where you will place it, as it will interfere with the photographer’s ability to obtain an unobstructed photograph of your home.

• We have multiple back to back appointments each day.  We do not have time to wait for homes to be cleaned, furniture moved, or to shoot around clutter.  We respectfully request that you consider out time constraints and have your home ready when we arrive.

• Clear back yard of pet waste/toys, and kids toys, bikes, burn/wood piles, lawn mowers, trailers, campers, boats.

• Remove ornamental flags – they move with the wind and are not easily photographed & typically, they are seasonal and will date the photographs.

 

I Do Not:

• Move or re-arrange heavy furniture 

• I do not move trash or recycle bins that are full of garbage

• Make beds, clean, dust or de-clutter

• Pick up toys or yard items

• "Photoshop" vehicles, walls, damaged walls, power lines, wall pictures, cords, etc.

• Touch personal bathroom supplies, personal hygiene items, or clothing or personal under garments (shampoo, toothbrushes, deodorant, towels, etc.)