First Impressions are EVERYTHING when looking for a new home, and in order to maximize this experience here is your Photo Preparation Guideline. Everyone’s different and has diverse taste, so adhering to this checklist will create a beautiful canvas that allows the future owner to tailor the space to how they best see fit. 

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General: 

☐ Thoroughly clean whole house (vacuum carpet, mop hard floors, clean countertops, and clean windows) 

☐ Turn all overhead lights and lamps ON 

☐ Replace all burned out light bulbs 

☐ Use bulbs of the same temperature (ALL incandescent or ALL compact fluorescent) 

☐ Turn all ceiling fans OFF 

☐ Turn all TVs OFF 

☐ Turn all computer screens OFF 

☐ Open blinds ALL THE WAY/window treatments to let in outside light 

☐ Remove personal photographs (or replace with general landscape/object photographs) 

☐ Make all beds 

☐ Remove small floor rugs to reveal actual flooring 

☐ Place all shoes/jackets in closets 

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 Exterior: 

☐ Remove cars from driveway and front of home 

☐ Clean up landscaping (mow, trim shrubs, and clear leaves) 

☐ Remove empty planters 

☐ Use broom to remove cobwebs from eaves and door frames 

☐ Remove visible water hoses 

☐ Remove toys, sports balls, basketball goals, soccer goals, etc. 

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Back Yard: 

☐ Clean porch, tidy up outdoor tables/chairs/cushions 

☐ Pillows/cushions should be fresh, not faded 

☐ Clear out kid’s toys, balls, Frisbees, etc 

☐ Clean pool 

☐ Remove pool vacuum/cleaner hose 

☐ Hide pool cleaning supplies 

☐ Remove visible water hoses 

☐ Remove trash cans 

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Kitchen: 

☐ Clear countertops completely. No knife blocks, baking supplies, mail, etc. 

☐ Leave out max of one small appliance (ex. Coffee maker) 

☐ Clear outside of refrigerator of magnets, papers, photos, etc. 

☐ Hide garbage cans in pantry or closet 

☐ Remove dishes from sink, place in dishwasher 

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Dining Room / Table: 

☐ Clear table, dust and polish the table top 

☐ Use decorative place setting if available 

☐ Feature one center piece such as a bouquet of flowers 

☐ Straighten all chairs and space them evenly 

☐ Remove child seats/booster chairs 

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Living / Family Room: 

☐ Remove stacks of magazines, papers, mail, tissue boxes, etc. 

☐ Clean and de-clutter fireplace and mantel/hearth 

☐ Fluff and arrange furniture pillows 

☐ Remove kid’s toys 

☐ Hide remotes 

☐ Clean end-tables and coffee-tables 

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Bathrooms: 

☐ Clear countertops completely. No soap, toothbrushes, medications, deodorant, etc. 

☐ Put toilet seats down 

☐ Close closet doors 

☐ Remove shampoo, soap, loofahs, etc. from showers and tubs 

☐ Remove dirty towels – leave out only new, unused towels 

☐ Remove floor mats 

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Master Bedroom: 

☐ Make bed, including decorative pillows/shams if available 

☐ Press bed linens and bed skirts 

☐ Clear nightstands of all personal items 

☐ Store away phone/table charging cables 

☐ Remove all clutter from top of dressers 

☐ Remove family photos from walls 

☐ Clean under bed, removing items that my show in the photos 

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Kid/Guest Bedroom: 

☐ Remove personalized names from walls 

☐ Remove wall stickers/posters 

☐ Remove diaper genies 

☐ Clean under bed, removing items that may show in the photos 

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Pets: 

☐ Place food and water bowls in pantry or closet 

☐ Place pet beds/toys in pantry or closet 

☐ Use lint roller on furniture to remove pet hair 

☐ Contain pets in hidden crate or outside 

☐ Clear back yard of pet waste / toys 

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What to Expect: 

The house should be shoot-ready when we arrive 

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We want the photos of your home to be the best they can be. This requires teamwork and cooperation that will result in an outstanding online presence when your home goes LIVE on the market. 

Although we would love to help you style/design your home, we unfortunately do not have the skill set required to do so. When we arrive to take photos of your property, we ask that all staging and cleaning be done prior to our arrival. To efficiently maintain our busy schedule and deliver the level of service our clients expect, we cannot spend unnecessary time at the home waiting for it to be cleaned, dusted, de-cluttered, etc. 

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Please review the previous sections for tips on preparing your home for real estate photography, and note that we are not responsible and will not partake in any of the following duties while photographing your home: 

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For time constraints, insurance, and liability purposes we Do Not: 

- Move or re-arrange furniture 

- Make beds, clean, dust or de-clutter 

- Pick up toys or yard items 

- "Photoshop" vehicles, walls, damaged walls, power lines, wall pictures, cords, etc. 

- Touch personal bathroom supplies (shampoo, toothbrushes, deodorant, towels) 

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Let's Sell This Property!

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-HOMEsnaps