Prepare for Photos Prior to the day of Professional Photos
Prior to Photography Day: Get the Listing Ready
As a Professional, your goal is to help advise your seller on how to make their home look its best & attract the most buyers possible right out of the gate online. I know it can be hard to have these discussions with the seller(s) at times, so here is an easy checklist to help you and your seller Prepare For Photos and to get the Listing Staged for photos prior to the day that I arrive.
Professional Real Estate Photography will reveal a lot about the property...let's make it shine!
- Easiest task first: (insert sarcasm) De-clutter the home...Every surface needs to look spacious so buyers can imagine their "stuff" fitting in.
- Brighten up the exterior of home with pressure washing...this includes fencing, walks and drives.
- Lights - Those burned out bulbs are finally ready to find the light and move on. Go ahead and send them on their way and find their replacements.
- If it is a pool home and there is a child safety fence, remove the fence. You want that pool area to be as open as possible and not have obstructed views from outside or inside the property.
- Here's a fun one for the whole family and you as the Realtor: Clean, Clean and Clean!!! Windows, mirrors, anything that is shiny and reflective...those stainless appliances...etc., smudges and streaks get picked up by the camera. So you guessed it; they will also show up in the photos!!!
- If possible and really needed, consider fresh interior paint. Neutral colors work great! Remember that accent wall that just screams, "look at me?" Some buyers will only see that wall and miss everything else! It will also help eliminate other odors!
- Carpeted Rooms: If they look really bad or hold strong odors, consider replacing them even if it is with cheaper NEW carpet. Stains show up just like streaks on mirrors and windows, but it's really the odors that tell a story about the home. That cheap new carpet will keep that old story from creeping up again.
- POOL HOMES: Make sure the pool is not cloudy or that wonderful green color. You might need to hire a pool service just to get the pool balanced and back to that gorgeous, sparkling blue. We don't want a buyer to think it takes a ton of work to maintain the pool.
Scheduling the day for photography
The Day of Listing photography
Today is the day!! Make it count.
Today is the day you have scheduled the real estate photography. By now you have the listing staged for photos, but there are several little things you and the seller can do to finish getting the house ready and to prepare for photos. If the seller is still living in the home, we know how hard it can be to keep things in their place and ready for "showtime." Being the professional that you are, you will arrive several minutes before the photographer to check off the following:
- Take another quick look at those Clean windows, appliances, mirrors and all reflective surfaces...streak free?
- POOL HOMES: Remove the pool sweep and any items that might be floating in the pool. If you maintain your own pool and have poles, brush attachments, skimmer nets, chemicals or any other item that shows you have to actually work to maintain the pool...it's best to keep those stored away and out of sight. Is the pool water still clear and inviting?
- Bedrooms: Beds should be tucked away like a drill sergeant is coming to inspect your work. Well, not really but they should be as wrinkle free as possible with bedding tucked in or hanging nicely and evenly around the bed. Pillows look best when they are neatly fluffed and arranged on the bed with some thought.
- What is under that Bed? We all use that space for storage, dust bunnies and monsters but no one wants to see it. Great time to either relocate what has been hiding around the edges or shove them further into the darkness.
- Bathrooms: Those floor rugs/mats should find a new space to lay low so that the floor space looks nice and open. Plungers, toilet brushes can join the rugs in their new temporary habitat. Counters are clear of clutter and any personal items are hidden away. TOILET SEATS - are folded neatly in the DOWN position.
- Kitchen: Same as the bathroom when it comes to floor mats/rugs. We want to open up that space and not let a rug distract the viewer from what they should be looking at. Counters need to be as clear of clutter as possible. Refrigerators are known black holes for magnets and notes. You'll want to save those items from the abyss and tuck them away elsewhere.
- Automobiles: Right before the photographer is to arrive, please have cars in the garage with the door closed, or moved from the driveway and from the front of the home.
- FINALLY...you are almost ready! Do something you were never allowed to do as a kid: Turn every light on in the house that you can find!!! Remember you already replaced burned out bulbs so all those lights are just waiting. Unfortunately, ceiling fans cannot play with the lights during this time. Those fans need to take a break and be turned off.