Your First showing is usually online, let me help you get the second showing scheduled!

 

My goal is to photograph your home with the highest quality that will wow buyers and attract offers. To ensure your photoshoot goes smoothly and safely, I’ve put together this preparation checklist of things you should do prior to your scheduled shoot.

 

 

BONUS 20 TIPS at the bottom of the page!

 

General Prep ❑ Be shoot-ready: Cleaning and staging needs to be done before I arrive, preferably the day before your photoshoot. I may move small items (flowers, small pictures, etc.) to improve photo composition, but larger items need to be in place before I arrive, and staging accessories need to be in place as well. ❑ Secure or remove pets: I love pets but we can’t have them around for your photoshoot. Dogs must be secured or off the property to ensure the safety of myself and my equipment. MLS rules also prohibit people and pets from being in pictures. Cats should be secured as well, although they usually pose fewer problems than dogs (cats often just hide). It's also a good idea to hide pet food and water bowls as well. ❑ Plan not to be seen: All occupants should plan on either being off the property or remain in areas where they can't be seen during the photoshoot. Rooms overlap in the photos, people can cause shadows and reflections, and there is risk to equipment that will be setup throughout the property. ❑ Use the garage for storage: I normally don’t shoot garages, so this is a great place to store items you’d like to hide.

 

❑ For safety's sake: prescriptions, cash, valuables, breakables, firearms, family photos are best removed, or at minimum, locked up. Controversial items can add time on market. Consider pre-packing religious, political, and other items before the photographer arrives. We're selling space. 

 

 

  Inside Prep ❑ Declutter kitchen: A few items on the counters are usually fine, but dishes, sponges, towels, etc. should be put away. It's best to remove all magnets, pictures, etc. from the refrigerator and remove throw rugs from the floor. ❑ Declutter bathrooms: Toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors, and other "personal" items should be hidden. Decorative unused soaps, candles, flowers, etc. are preferred. Think “Resort” standard. It’s also good to remove all throw rugs from the floor.  ❑ Prep bedrooms: All bedrooms should have their beds made and items put away. ❑ Hide trashcans: Trashcans can distract so it’s best to hide all of them in closets or the garage. ❑ Hide portable fans: Ceiling fans are selling items but portable fans can give the wrong impression. It’s best to hide all portable fans in closets or the garage. ❑ Hide cords and remotes: Sometimes electrical cords can’t be hidden, but you will have more appealing pictures if you can hide TV remotes, game consoles, and any noticeable cords. ❑ Clear entryways: Remove all shoes, umbrellas, and similar items from entryways. ❑ Open blinds (to consistent level) with views: Your indoor photos will show outdoor views if there are views, or just light if a window looks onto a neighbor or other unappealing view. ❑ Turn on lights: Before I arrive, please make sure all interior lights are turned on. If need-be, please replace all burned-out bulbs (same temp/color- 2700 Kelvin is ideal but it’s most important that they match)  before the photoshoot. ❑ Turn off ceiling fans: Before I arrive, please make sure all ceiling fans are turned off. These can cause motion blur and delay.

 

Outside Prep ❑ Clear the cars: Make sure no cars are in the driveway. If possible, also move cars from the street in front of the home. We want as clear a view as possible of your property. ❑ Do NOT wet driveways:  Watering driveways can cause patches of dry spots and puddles, so adding it in editing is best. ❑ Hide trashcans: Trashcans can be placed on the side of the property or in the garage. ❑ Hide hoses: Do this the day before the shoot since hoses can drip water onto the pavement when being moved, leaving puddles in your pictures. ❑ Mow and trim the yard: Do at least 24 hours prior to your photoshoot. ❑ Turn off sprinklers: Do not water the day of the shoot to prevent puddles on pavement. ❑ Pick up poop: If you have a dog, make sure that all of their droppings are cleared from the yard. ❑ Prep pool and spa: If you have a pool and/or spa, please have them clean with covers removed. For spas, provide instructions to the realtor on how to turn it on. ❑ Prep water features: If you have fountains, waterfalls, etc., please clean them and provide instructions to the realtor on how to turn them on. ❑ Remove for-sale sign: The for-sale sign should be removed from the property or installed after the shoot, since visible signs violate MLS policies and can’t always be edited out. ❑ Clean patio furniture: Dust and remove cobwebs from all outdoor furniture. Do not hose down your patio furniture the day of your shoot, since this can create puddles.

 

Twilight Prep If you’ve scheduled a twilight shoot the following are additional items to prepare before I arrive. Note that twilights have tight schedules to ensure optimal lighting, so please make sure all of these items are ready before I arrive. ❑ Turn on all interior and exterior lights: All lights throughout the property need to be turned on. Please replace all burned-out bulbs. ❑ Turn on spas and remove covers: If you have a spa, remove the cover, and turn it before I arrive. Turn on the lights in the spa as well. ❑ Turn on pool lights: If you have a pool, turn on the pool lights before I arrive. ❑ Turn on water features: If you have fountains, waterfalls, or similar water features, please turn them on before I arrive.

 

 

You’re Still Reading! That’s great! You earned the BONUS round. Here are some Tips and Tricks I earned in a classroom setting!

 

1. It warrants repeating. Clean, and declutter. Neutralize sights, SMELLS, and sounds.  
2. Plan first! Make a vision board. This makes putting the pieces together right the first time and is less work in the end.
3. It only takes 1 item to create a themed room. Less is more. Remember the old saying “Don’t break the silence unless you can improve it”? Same with staging.
4. 2700 Kelvin LED light bulbs are your photographers friend (excessive mirrors not so much).
5. If it is more than ten years old, consider if it could appear dated in photos.
6. Area Rugs can anchor a room. They can be useful in the living room to define conversational seating, or the dining room if the area is open concept, and bedrooms. These are not to be confused with kitchen and bath throw rugs. These may appear to be “hiding” something. Pre-pack them. Area rugs don’t “float”, instead they pull a room together so all or part of each furnishing should rest on it.
7. Vignettes are great in 3’s!  Use varying sizes to create a line or spiral.
8. Create symmetry or balance and proportion when placing furniture in a room.
9. Continuity creates flow. Keep the style continuous from room to room.
10. Keep in mind elements and principles. Elements: Space, Focal Point, Lines, Shapes, Size, Color, Texture, and Value. Principles are: Balance, Contrast, Rhythm, Proportion and Harmony.

There are many styles such as Ranch, Mid-Mod/Atomic, Traditional, Boho, Farmhouse, Industrial, Victorian, Feng Shui/ Wabi Sabi, Rustic, Hollywood/Glam, Moody, French Country, Eclectic, Shabby Chic, Coastal/Nautical and more!

 

11. Think resort when choosing towels and bedding.
12. Hang art so it is centered at 58-60” from the floor. Wall hangings are usually 2/3 the size of the item they hang above (bed, sofa, fireplace).
13. Plants should be alive and healthy. These are a great color pop. Faux with caution!
14. One room, one purpose. It is an office OR a bedroom. This happens most often in the game room, office, spare bedroom, dining room.
15. Pinterest is your friend. Yes, I said it.
16. Colors create emotion. Think about warm colors and cool colors. Bold and subdued. What mood are you creating? Choose a primary color, its 60% of the room. The secondary color should be 30% and 10% color pop. Explore the color wheel! Analogous, Monochromatic, Complementary, or Triadic are common color schemes.
17. Texture can be natural or man made. Wood v metal. Linen v polyester. Glass vs plastic.
18. Furniture should be proportionate. Dining rooms should have seating appropriate to the size of the table and the table should fit the room. Give folks 36” clearance to pull chairs out. Bedrooms should have a bed, 2 nightstands with lamps, a dresser or two and a reading/dressing chair. Window treatments are an ongoing debate. Current trends are curtains floor to ceilings. Not drapes. For a neater look, go with a type of blind.
19. Walk out of the room and back in. Where is the eye drawn first? That is your focal point. One per room is enough. This is where your color pop, leading lines etc come in. Plants and pillows are great sources of color pop.
20. Book cases. Empty shelves are great to break up a space. So are laying some books horizontal beside vertical “stacks”.  Pre-pack most of them.

 

Thank you for your time and patience to go through this checklist! If you have any questions, or need help with staging please feel free to contact me anytime.

 

Thank you for taking the time to prepare before your photo shoot. If you have questions, feel free to contact me at 512 939 9551.