Getting Ready for Home Photography

Recently, we discussed the importance of having professional real estate photos to capture your home in the best light. You can read all about that in our blog post HERE to further understand the need for professional photos. While we won’t go into those details here, instead we will be looking at how to prepare your home prior to the photographers arrival. While the photographer will do everything to capture your home, it is up to you to have the home prepared in a way that you want it featured.

(Preparation tips provided by Wandering Surfer Studios and curated by  Nicholas V. Hall)

The Big Picture

These tips are not hard and fast rules, however, they will help to get the most out of your photography session. If you have a pet, please have a plan to keep the pet out of the way. Professional photography equipment is expensive and could easily be damaged if a pet is loose in the property. The list below will help ensure high quality photos are captured, which in return, will bring in more renters and help get your property booked quickly.

Essential Tasks

• Turn on all of the lights within the property and leave them on for the photography session. Make sure to replace any bulbs that are out.
• Clean all windows, shower doors, mirrors, etc. Anything that will easily show dirt, dust, and fingerprints. Windows especially that have a nice view (ex. ocean front) will need to be clean in order to showcase that view accurately within the pictures.
• Reduce clutter. Any kind of clutter around the home will make it appear messy and unkept, even if it’s clean.
• Make sure all toilet seats are closed within the bathroom spaces.
• All beds should be made with clean linens. If you have accent items, such as pillows, arrange them accordingly within each room.
• All window curtains and blinds should be open, allowing the most natural light possible to enter into the home.
• Make sure outdoor areas are neat and clean. Trash cans should be tucked underneath, or to the side of the house.

Added Considerations

The above essential tasks create a strong foundation to showcase your home to potential buyers. While those are considered standard practive, below we also have included some extra considerations for your property. These extra touches could showcase your interior design style or reflect the “feel” of your property to potential renters.

Kitchen

• Remove, or organize, any items hanging on the fridge. Although it’s helpful to include local information on the fridge for guests, sometimes too much hanging will appear messy.
• Any older, or not nice looking, appliances should be removed from the countertop to declutter the space. Newer/nicer looking appliances can stay as long as they don’t make the counter seem small.
• Make sure the sink is empty and clean. Unless a nicer looking soap dispenser is there, put away and soap bottles and sponges/washcloths.
• Colorful decorations, or maybe a bowl of fresh fruit, can be a nice touch on countertops.

Dining Room

• You may consider setting the table with place settings, or placemats, to showcase what the table may look like during a meal.

Main Rooms

• Clear up, and organize, any wires from electronics.
• Put away and toys, games, etc. that may make the space feel cluttered when scattered around the room.
• Decorations to define the space are encouraged and make for a nice accent within the photo.

Bathrooms

• Showers should be cleaned inside and out.
• Leave your best looking towels on the rack.
• Remove any soap dispensers (unless a decorative one), shampoo, etc. from the shower and the sinks.

Bedrooms

• When making the beds, make sure there are no wrinkles and that the comforter completely covers the mattress/mattress pad around the edges.
• Make sure no loose items are on the floor/dressers/etc. Decorative items are ok.

Outdoor Areas

• Pickup any hoses, tools, toys, sports equipment, etc. Anything left out can make the space feel cluttered.
• Remove vehicles from the driveway to capture clean shots of the exterior of the property.
• Water features (hot tubs, pool lights, fountains) should be open and turned on to showcase that part of the outdoor area.
• Consider getting deck areas power washed for a fresh new look.
• Clean any debris/dirt/etc. from pools and hot tubs.

Get Ready!

We hope this list helps you prepare your home for a professional photography session. It is our goal to show your property in the highest quality possible to bring in high quality renters and get your property booked quickly. If at any time you have any questions leading up to a photography session, please reach out to our  Marketing Manager, Tina, at: Tina@PROACTIVEVacations.com

(All images by Wandering Surfer Studios)