Preparing Your Home for a Photo Shoot

 If you are planning on listing your home for sale in the spring, the preparation involved has surely already begun. Decluttering, cleaning, painting…oh my! If you’ve read our other helpful blogs, you will know what suggestions we have provided for getting your home sale ready. (You can read that blog here: https://ricepropertiesgroup.com/sellers/tips-on-selling-your-home/). Once all of those tasks have been tackled, you will move into the final phase of listing your home for sale. Together with your agent, you will decide on a “Go Live” date, when your home will be available for showings. To properly market your home, however, your agent should be having a professional photographer and videographer come to your home to take lots of great photos of your home. As we know, must home buyers these days make a decision whether to view a home based off of the pictures they see online. So the importance of having your home show well in these photos is incredibly important! We’ve listed some great suggestions on what final tasks you should focus on the days leading up to the photo shoot:

Exterior

• • Close the windows and put blinds down

• • Sweep front stoop and any cobwebs from windows and doors

• • Wipe any storm doors free of handprints/smudges

• • Park your car on the street or in an enclosed garage

• • Make sure your yard is cleaned up of sticks and leaves

• • Remove any children’s or pet toys

• • Hide garbage cans/bins out of sight

• • Close any gates and garage doors

• • For homes with pools/hot tubs, please remove all pool toys, visible cleaning supplies, and equipment

• • Uncover any yard furniture

• • Make sure grills are covered unless cover is worn

Interior – General

• • Clear any clutter and personal items. Hide them away in an enclosed closet or cabinet

• • Make sure the home has been cleaned (dusted/floors clean/countertops wiped down/showers and tubs cleaned)

• • Turn on all lights and lamps throughout the home.

• • Hide any visible cords

• • Put away all children’s or pet’s toys

• • Dining Room – Clear everything but a small centerpiece

• • Remove as many personal photos as possible

• • Remove anything with children’s names on them

• • Remove any pet supplies/bedding

Kitchen

• • Remove all refrigerator magnets, photos, artwork, etc.

• • Clear the top of the fridge

• • Clean off kitchen countertops of any appliances. Wipe down where appliances were housed

• • Put away all cleaning supplies (vacuums, brooms, etc)

• • Put away all towels and oven mitts, including wash rags and dish towels

• • Hide the garbage can in a closet or pantry

Bedrooms

• • Make the beds

• • Remove any visible stored items under the bed

• • Put away all shoes and clothing

• • Clear the bedside tables; leave only the lamp, clock, and one or two books

• • Clear the top of the dresser of most items (especially makeup and jewelry)

Walk-in Closet

• • Tidy-up the closet by organizing/ sorting clothing and shoes

• • Matching hangers are a nice touch

Bathrooms

• • Open the shower curtains

• • Put down the toilet seat

• • Put out fresh, matching towels

• • Hide all bath products from the tub/shower including bars of soap, shampoo & conditioner, washcloths, etc.

• • Hide all bath products from the sink including hand soap, makeup, etc. decorative soaps can stay Hide all appliances including the hair drier, curling iron, etc.

• • Hide all air fresheners including those that plug in

• • Hide all cleaning products, including toilet brushes and plungers

• • Empty trash cans

Home Office

• • Hide any visible cords

• • Put away all paperwork

Pets

• • Pets must be properly restrained, or the photographer reserves the right not to enter the property

• • It is the homeowner’s or agent’s responsibility to keep the pets out of the shot

• • Put away all toys, food and water bowls, and litter boxes