My Top Tips to Prepare a Home to be Photographed
Cleaning your home and preparing it for photography and showings is a daunting task, but I've compiled a list of my top tips to help you (as a homeowner, or as a selling agent) prepare any home to be photographed. The list is broken down room by room, in easy bite-sized pieces to get your home ready for its closeup - and ultimately one step closer to packing up and heading off to your next chapter!
General tips:
💡 Turn on all lights including lamps and feature lighting before the photographer arrives, ie, under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen, and even an electric fireplace. Replace burned out bulbs and try not to mix tungsten/LED/fluorescent lighting⠀
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📺 Turn off tv and computer screens, and ceiling fans; hide cables and cords as best you can⠀
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🪟 Open all window coverings, unless a window shows an unpleasant view, in which case, keep shades partially closed. ⠀
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🖼 Declutter, depersonalize (such as removing personal photographs) and clean like you’ve never cleaned before! ⠀
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👩🔧 Patch and repair any nicks, scratches, holes and scuffs, and do any necessary paint touch-ups
Front yard:
🚗 Remove vehicles and trash cans from the driveway/front of house⠀
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🧹 Sweep/shovel driveways, walkways, porches, patios and decks⠀
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🛠 Remove garden tools, sprinklers/hoses, kid’s and pet’s toys from the lawn⠀
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👩🌾 Mow the lawn, trim bushes, pull weeds and rake leaves⠀
Back yard:
🍁 Clean up after pets, clear away kid’s toys, rake the leaves and tend to gardens⠀
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🪑 Arrange outdoor patio furniture, put up the umbrella, remove the bbq cover and sweep the deck⠀
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🏊♀️ Open the pool cover and skim the water⠀
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⛲️ Turn on any eye-catching water features such as fountains or waterfalls⠀
Kitchen:
🧲 Remove magnets and other clutter from the outside of the fridge, and wipe down appliance surfaces, especially stainless steel, to clean food mess and fingerprints
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🍽 Clean and put away dishes⠀
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🧽 Clear unnecessary clutter from the counter tops; leave no more than one or two small appliances out; feel free to leave decorative canisters on display - the space should be tidy, but not sterile⠀
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☕️ Consider leaving the kitchen or dining room table set with nice place settings, or a cozy wine or coffee set up in the breakfast nook⠀
Living room:
🧸 Remove or tidy up all kids and pets toys⠀
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🛋 Remove any unnecessary furniture, and consider rearranging your furniture in a way that maximizes and opens up the space⠀
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🪴Consider bringing in potted plants for colour and style⠀
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📚 Tidy and straighten book shelves; dust and declutter of personal items and photos; hide remote controls and other small electronics⠀
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🧺 Create a cozy and welcoming space with stylish pillows and blankets. Consider nice coffee table books as decor, but remove magazines, newspapers and old or ratty books⠀
Bedrooms:
🛏 Make the beds! Use your nicest, neutral coloured linens, decorative pillows and blankets, and smooth out any lumps in the sheets⠀
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🧸 Clean kids toys off the floors, and use decorative baskets to store items. Neutral coloured, plush toys can be appealing in a photograph, but consider hiding brightly coloured or plastic toys⠀
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🕰 Remove personal items and clutter from bedside tables and dressers. Items to leave include lamps, clocks, or a decorative candle or other small object⠀
Bathroom:
🪥Clear the counter tops of clutter - remove makeup containers, tissue boxes/extra toilet paper rolls, tooth brushes, soap bottles, etc, and either remove the hand towel, or replace it with a fresh one
🪞Clean and polish the mirror and counter tops, glass shower surrounds and any other surface that might show water droplets
🧺 Remove large objects from the floor such as laundry baskets, bathroom scales, and garbage cans, and give the floor a sweep
🧼 Remove bottles, soaps, loofahs and kids toys from the shower and tub
🚽 Close the toilet lid!
🧖♀️Consider creating a “spa-like” space - leave out fresh, fluffy towels, decorative canisters or soap dispensers, and a candle or small plant on the counter
