It’s easy to think to ourselves, “OK, the photographer is coming, so I have to clean.” However likely there may be room for improvement, what feels “clean” may or may not be on par with “Photo-Ready”. To realtors, let me please suggest that a photo-prepped home is one that is ready for a broker’s-open. And to home owners, my rule of thumb is this: if there is something visible which you do not want seen on the front page of the NY Times, it is best to have it removed prior to your photographer’s arrival.

Here are hi-lights and considerations to best prepare a home/listing for a photography session. And please remember, we are not stagers so the home needs to be ready prior to our arrival.

We generally begin our sessions photographing the outside first and then work our way to the inside.

AROUND THE PROPERTY

• Have the driveway cleared of all vehicles. Parking on the street or inside the garage is fine.
• Hide all garbage and recycling cans. Bring them to the road or hide inside the garage.
• Close the garage doors.
• Have all toys, pet supplies (and waste), and gardening tools removed.
• Have the grass mowed and cleaned of excess grass, leaves, and twigs.
• Have all walkways cleared of twigs, leaves, or snow.
• Make sure all patio/outdoor furniture looks presentable. (To what extent, either cleaned and staged or seasonally stored is your choice.)
• Pool covers should be either removed or cleaned if remain on the pool.
• Water should be cleared of debris and cleaning machinery.
• Pool accessories should be properly stored and removed.
• Real Estate signage cannot be visible in photographs. Though we can normally work around obstacles, it is something to keep in mind.

INSIDE THE HOME

The two most important points for inside the home on “the day” are

• To have ALL OF THE LIGHTS TURNED ON. This means end-table lamps, the microwave surface lamp over the stove, the light over the kitchen sink, lights inside the china cabinet or collectable cases, hallway lights, the neon you have not thought about in years, and everything else with the broken switch and burn-out bulbs. If the rooms are dark, that is OK. We do not need a lot of light, but only “even” light and we can work wonders.
• Have all of the TV’s and ceiling fans turned off. We shoot in High Dynamic Range (HDR), or multiple exposure photography. This means we cannot have motion visible in the room.

The Bulk Reminders, things we never think about:

In General 

We are there for you to photograph the livable space and probably not to photography interior design, a completely different purpose. “Less is More” goes a long way.

• To repeat, make sure all switches and bulbs are functional.
• Keep fans off.
• Choose which throw-rugs or mats you want to have removed.
• Vacuum the ones you want to stay.
• Remove all children toys and pet toys, crates, and bowls.
• Have a place for pets to go temporarily during the photo session.
• Have windows and mirrors cleared of heavy streaks.

Main Family Areas

• Clear out TV remotes, piles of blankets, laundry baskets, and jackets on hooks.
• Neaten furniture pillows.
• Remove large family portraits if privacy is a potential concern. (Small photos will show very small in the scheme of things.)
• Hide excessive stereo/TV cables.
• Empty or hide trash cans.

The Kitchen and Dining Room

• Have counter tops cleaned and cleared of daily grime and excessive clutter. Cutlery, coffee pots, etc, are fine to remain.
• Remove dirty towels, child/pet gates, or anything unsightly.
• Consider removing or emptying cork boards or collectables on the refrigerator.
• Set the best place settings available on the dining room and kitchen/dinette tables.
• Flowers are great, but not as center pieces. They tend to block the camera view. Maybe save those for open-house events.

The Bed Rooms and Office

• Have the beds fully made.
• Put away all clothing.
• Dust off the ceiling fan blades and turn them off.
• As before, pick up the toys, garbage cans, baskets, piles of paperwork.
• Turn off computer monitors and TV’s. (Computers may stay on.)

The Bathrooms

• Towels are folded nicely or hidden (behind curtains or closed doors).
• Surfaces are dry.
• Surfaces are clean of spots and mirrors free from streaks.
• Toothbrushes, curling irons, shaving supplies, etc. are removed.
• Toilet lids are lowered.
• Toilet paper rolls are full.
• Bottles are removed from visible bathing areas.

Please keep in mind these lists are only tips. You may have your own formula and guide lines but Digital Tour Host wants to make things as easy for you as possible, generating the best of success during your sales process.

As a last note, and a favorite analogy, “You don’t go to the seamstress on the wedding day for last-minute alterations,” so do not wait for your photographer to arrive to “just move things around”. Have gathered in one area anything that will be in the way. We can then photograph, say a laundry room first, put everything in there, and that will leave the rest of the house ready to go easily enough.

Do not over-think this. I look forward to seeing you and the rest is up to me.

The Profit is in the Prep-work.

~DTH

Your Lead Host,

~Dave Nelson

Digital Tour Host

www.digitaltourhost.com

www.facebook.com/digitaltourhost

844-DTH-TOUR

844-384-8687