Tips For Listing Photographs

Several years ago, a Better Homes and Gardens blog was written about taking good photos of your home. It re-surfaced with a PDF from real estate photographer Alex Chuzhoy (see below). I wanted to share some of the best tips from both sources below!

Inside the Home:

1. De-clutter as much as possible
2. Depersonalize the house to a certain degree
3. Remove any seasonal or holiday decorations
4. Dust and vaccuum
5. Make all the beds and fluff the pillows
6. Clean the kitchen sink and put away all the dishes
7. Clear all kitchen counter tops of items
8. Clear all bathroom counter tops
9. Remove all shampoos, conditioners, etc. from the shower
10. Put out the guest towels and hide all the others
11. Hide all trash cans
12. Remove all magnets and decorations from the fridge
13. If there are pets, hide all food and water bowls, pet beds, and toys
14. Put all toilet seats and lids down
15. Replace all burned out light bulbs
16. Consider decorating tables with your prettiest place settings
17. Consider putting out a vase of fresh flowers

Outside the Home:

1. Have the lawn trimmed, leaves raked, bushes and trees pruned
2. Clean up after any animal
3. Put away all garbage cans, hoses, garden tools, toys, bikes, etc.
4. Hide any “cute” yard decorations
5. In snowy climates, shovel snow from walkways, driveways, patios, and decks
6. If there is a pool, hot tub, or spa, take any security gate down, uncover, and clean
7. If there will be any twilight photos taken, replace any broken lighting on the home, around the landscape, and in the pool
8. Open the umbrellas on any patio sets
9. When in season, uncover grills
10. Remove any seasonal or holiday decorations
11. Consider adding splashes of bright colored flowers to the landscape and in pots

Right Before the Photographer Arrives:

1. Turn of ALL interior lights (even in furniture cabinets)
2. Turn off ALL ceiling fans
3. Light fireplaces and candles
4. Open all blinds, shades, and curtains
5. Clear all cars and vehicles from the driveway and the street in front of your home
6. Please secure any potentially aggressive animals in a safe location, away from all rooms being photographed

Finally, make sure to secure all valuables somewhere out of sight. There might be several people walking through the home! As for staging……. well that is another blog, but I highly recommend.