Getting Your House Ready For Photos

Where We Will Be Shooting:

  • All finished spaces excluding most hallways and closets.

Where We Will NOT Be Shooting:

  • Unfinished spaces like garages or basements or inside sheds.

  • Have a cool or unique garage or other unfinished space? Just let your photographer know and they will make sure to snap some pics.

 

The following is a guideline on how to get your house ready. BUT PLEASE differ to your agent and/or stager. They know better. These are just common things we think make the house look better.

Before scheduling:

  • Make a plan about how you want the house to look. Your photographer will only have so much time at your home so you want to utilize it as best you can.

  • Start getting anything that can be packed away for moving done so and hidden in a closet or unfinished space. We do not expect you to pack up everything, but the idea is to cut down especially on CLUTTER or as we like to think of them: things without a home.

  • Things without a home just look out of place in pictures and tend to draw the eye immediately. You know when something just looks right? That is what we are going for.

Before Your Shoot:

  • Winter/Fall: Can your photographer safely get into your house? Make sure your driveway is clear of snow as well as any pathways and patios. Leaves should be neat, especially on pathways and patios.

    • Pro Tip: Use leaves and snow to hide things you don’t want seen. And remember where you are putting the snow or leaves! We don’t want them in the pics.

  • Summer/Spring: Mow the lawn. Height does not matter unless the grass is budding or there are visible colorful weeds. Take care of the pool. Minor debris and discoloration is ok, but get anything serious taken care of beforehand.

  • Clear off the fridge of papers and magnets.

  • Get any big stains taken care of. Most smaller ones tend to go unnoticed.

  • General cleaning.

Right Before Your Shoot:

  • Remove all cars from the driveway and close all doors to the house. Your photographer will likely start outside before you even realize.

  • Do a quick run through of the house inside and out. Step in a room and see what catches your eye first. Don’t like what you see? Tuck it behind the bed or couch or closet.

    • Pro Tip: Remember, it just needs to look good for the pictures. Nothing needs a new permanent home behind the couch (unless that works for you).

  • Turn off TVs and computer monitors.

  • Remove trashcans from rooms.

  • Remove/hide toiletries and put the toilet seats down. Shower Curtains should be open.

  • Make beds and final tidying of the bedrooms.

  • Remove identifying personal items like calendars, photos, mail, etc.

Light:

  • Open all blinds and curtains to let in as much natural light as possible.

    • Pro Tip: Have an eyesore outside a window? Just set the blinds to cover it up and match the rest of the blinds to that level/height. It’ll look natural as long as they’re all the same.

  • Turn on every light. Yes, we mean every one. Overhead lights, side lamps, tall lamps, short lamps, blue lamps, red lamps, all of them.

  • Turn OFF all ceiling fans.

Pets:

  • We love pets! Unfortunately though, not everyone does.

  • Hide all pet bowls, toys, beds, etc.

  • Before the shoot, have a room ready to shoot first that we can put your pets into during the shoot if they are free roaming like cats and dogs.

  • Have a pet in a cage/terrarium? We recommend leaving them be until right before and then try to move them for the picture. If you cannot though, not a problem.

  • Fish? Fish are friends not food. They also are fine where they are as long as they just keep swimming!