A Guide for Realtors and Property Owners
When the property is prepared as though it’s being photographed for a glossy magazine, it greatly enhances the realtor’s marketing efforts.
Please make sure the home is thoroughly tidied and cleaned BEFORE THE PHOTOGRAPHER ARRIVES.
To help the property look its best, refer to this checklist:
Outdoor:
- Remove all cars from the driveway.
- Hide any garbage bins, garden equipment and childern toys in the garage (which is not photographed inside).
- Arrange backyard furniture neatly.
Please complete all outdoor preparations at least half an hour before the scheduled time, as the photographer may arrive earlier to take exterior photos. If there is a gate leading from the street to the backyard, make sure it’s unlocked.
At the entrance:
- Hide all shoes and the doormat.
Kitchen:
- Clear off countertops completely. Remove anything not permanently attached – kettles, soap, sponge, cleaning supplies/cloths, dishes, drying racks, paper towels.
- Leave only coffee/wine equipment and attractive decorative items (e.g., elegant designer bottles, vases, plants and statuettes).
- Hang towels neatly (or remove them at all).
- Clear the refrigerator of magnets.
Living Room / Family Room:
- Place all chairs in an aligned position.
- Arrange sofa pillows neatly; smooth throws.
- Clear surfaces except for lamps and decor.
Bedrooms:
- Make all beds hotel-neat.
- Put away all clothing and personal items.
- Clear bedside tables except for lamps and decor.
Bathrooms:
- Remove anything not permanently attached – toothpaste cups, soaps, shampoos, razors, sponges, scrubbers, cleaning cloths, hangers, extra rolls of toilet paper, toilet-cleaning tools, rugs.
- Leave only attractive decorative items (e.g., elegant designer bottles, vases, plants and statuettes).
- Hang towels neatly (or remove them at all).
- Clean mirrors and shower doors.
- Close the toilet lids.
General (the whole home):
- If possible, remove everything which personalizes the home — family photos, baby accessories, pet items, educational diplomas, sports medals and certificates, political signs, souvenirs that point to other countries — anything that will prevent potential buyers from seeing THEIR future home on the photos.
- Open curtains and arrange them simmetrically.
- Open blinds horizontally flat. If they don’t look perfectly, open them at all.
- Hide any cleaning supplies like the broom, bucket, mop, cloth, detergent, rubber gloves, etc. You can store them in the mechanical room or a closet – we typically don’t photograph standard closets (except spacious walk-ins).
- Make sure all light bulbs are working.
- Right before the photographer arrives, turn on every single light in the house – including the under-cabinet and microwave lighting in the kitchen, as well as the bedside table lamps.
Thank you for preparing! These steps will help present the property at its very best.
REMARK:
If there are multiple floors or a basement, residents can stay home during the photo shoot, but we ask that they don’t stay on the floor being photographed at that moment.
If the home is single-story with no basement, it’s best if residents leave, with only one person staying if necessary (the realtor or a resident). Otherwise, the shoot can drag on because people keep ending up in the frame (it’s 100% guaranteed, trust our experience!) – and you want the photographer to finish and leave as quickly as possible, don’t you?
