Preparing Your Home for Photography

Carol Grape of Grape Imaging is one photographer Dale and I have used to capture the essence of our listings. She is tremendous at what she does and has offered us the below suggestions when preparing your home for photography. Thank you, Carol!

Courtesy of Carol Grape, Grape Imaging

Please remember to let your broker or the home photographer know if there is a special place you want them to include or excluded. Unfinished basements, attics and garages are not typically photographed, unless requested. If a stager is used, please schedule the photo shoot after the staging is done.

EXTERIOR

• Remove all vehicles from the driveway. Make sure the garage doors are closed. Do not park in front of the house or on either side – remove all vehicles from an exterior photo sight line.

• Remove trash cans, garden tools, garden hoses and sprinklers from view.
• Sweep the driveways, patios and sidewalks (or shovel if you’re reading this right after our huge February snow storm!)
• Put deck/patio umbrellas up in season, if too windy, please keep down. 

• Remove barbeque covers and place out of sight.
• All window blinds should be set to the same height throughout the house. The photographer will open and close to adjust the natural light as needed.

• Mow the lawn, clean up any yard debris, store mower out of sight.
• Bushes and trees should be trimmed to show a clear view of the house.

• Enhance curb appeal with a front door wreath, pots of greenery or fresh flowers in season.

INTERIOR

• Make sure all lights and lamps have working light bulbs.
• Clear off counter tops in the kitchen and bathrooms, removing tissue boxes, soap containers and paper towel rolls. These spaces should be left as clutter-free as possible.

• A bowl of apples, oranges, lemons and limes adds a nice touch of color to a kitchen counter.
• Remove all notes, pictures and magnets from the refrigerator and any bulletin boards.

• Turn off ceiling fans.
• All window blinds should be set to the same height throughout the house. The photographer will open and close to adjust the natural light as needed.

• Put away any evidence of “work”, including buckets, mops, trash cans, vacuum cleaners, sponges, soap bottles and cleaning cloths.
• Hide the kitchen trash can – the garage is usually a good place to store it temporarily.
• Pet beds, feeding bowls and toys temporarily stored out of sight. Secure pets.
• Remove newspapers and stacks of magazines.
• Windows and mirrors cleaned and streak free.

• Carpets vacuumed, wood floors polished.
• Beds freshly made and freshly folded towels in bathrooms.

• De-clutter and de-personalize so the buyer can imagine living in their new home!

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