Prepare Your Home for Photography

If you want potential buyers to view your home as potentially their own, you will need to “package” it for sale. Buyers are turned off by clutter, signs of under-maintenance, undesirable features, and a “lived-in” appearance that is overly personal. The ultimate goal is to make the home appear clean, well-kept up, and nicely furnished in a neutral way, even if “neutral” is not your personal style. This is the effect that professional home stagers strive for, whether they are staging a new home or a resale home. The goal is to make the property appear as much like a “model home” as possible. This helps potential buyers imagine it as their own.

To get the most from your “home for sale” photos, follow these tips before the photographer arrives.

Exterior

• Clear away vegetation blocking front door or path to door.
• Remove vehicles from driveway and front of home.
• Move all cars, boats, and bikes out of the driveway, and keep the curb clear.
• Hide the trash bins. They should not be visible from the front of the home.
• Mow and edge the lawn. Rake any loose leaves. Pull any weeds. .
  Trim bushes.
• Sweep the patios.
• Clean the patio furniture.
• Wash the windows.
• Wet down the brick patio and concrete pool surround to avoid it being too bright in photos. Wetting it down also brings out the rich color in the brick.

Interior

• Remove evidence of pets.
• Put away children's toys.
• Open drapes and blinds.
• Turn on lights.
• Remove trash cans close toilet lids in bathrooms.
  Vacuum the carpets.
• Make the beds.
• De-clutter each room as much as possible.
• Remove all personal photos.
  Remove all personal effects, especially whatever is hanging on the refrigerator.
• Move excess furniture out of the way. You don't want the photographer to be shooting directly into the backs of chairs.
• If necessary, bring in more furniture from other rooms to avoid blank holes in the photo.
  Add homey touches where needed. Candles, flowers and coffee table art books all add character to a room and are inexpensive ways to decorate.
• Set the dining room table with fresh flowers, complete place settings and ironed linens.
  Remove all electrical cords from view.
• Tidy up bookcases, fluff couch pillows.
• Flip the cushion over if Fido has been there, or use a throw to cover the stain.
• Clear the kitchen and bathroom countertops of all unnecessary items.
• Clean the surfaces of the appliances.
• Clean bathroom mirrors and glass shower doors.
• Remove all visible waste baskets.