Real Estate Photography in a Snap!

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Having a clean, uncluttered representation is the best way to go. Real Estate Photography is only as good as the cleaning job before the shoot. Getting great shots has as much to do with the prep work as it does with wide-angle lenses, composition, perspective, and lighting. A Photographer's editing pales in comparison to a thoroughly cleaned and well-prepared property. Consider shampooing or even replacing smelly, stained, and damaged carpet. Those stains are instant turnoffs for many potential buyers.

Overall, the living spaces should be clean, neat, and tidy from top to bottom because the camera lens will capture all sore spots. So have the ceiling fans cleaned and turn them off so they're not blurry in photos. Turn off all lighting, lamps, and televisions - even hiding the remotes or gaming paraphernalia. Remove or hide all loose cables, cell phone chargers, power cords, or clutter that could attract the eye. Clean all flooring, Throughout the property, add as much natural light as possible by opening all the curtains, drapes, and blinds horizontally.

Buyers want to see the property, not the personal items the sellers have collected in the process of time. Please have the seller remove all cars from the driveway; park them in the garage, if any, and close the garage door. This is a way to show what can fit in there too. Remove all sprinklers off the lawn, and unnecessary toys, washing colored chalk off of sidewalks, driveways, and pavement.

Having a well-cut lawn is a wise idea, blowing away all leaves. Clean all patio furniture including the seat cushions. and put out fresh, clean ones. Hiring a lawn care professional for these tasks  should be considered.

Sweeping, vacuuming the floors, and wiping down the baseboards are great ideas and helpful for better-quality photos. Please remove rugs, baby/children's items, pet beds, and so forth from the floor. 

  If you have wood floors, we recommend moping and waxing the floors the day before. 

 If you want the best kitchen and dining room photos we recommend removing all sponges, dish soaps, knickknacks, personalized ornaments, or anything that could clutter countertops, hallways, rooms, or spaces. 

Wipe down all countertop space, remove any stains, make the stovetop spotless, clean your oven, and any embedded microwave ovens, remove all non-essential appliances, peel any stickers off of surfaces, take down refrigerator magnets, personal photos, and calendars off of the walls or refrigerator/freezer. For the kitchen/dining room areas, we recommend a tidy, clean look and feel so remove yourself from the shots, leaving the home open to the imagination of the potential buyer.

Add your nicest cutlery set in the wooden block and place that on the counter. Add a nice, small, clear, or white vase with flowers on the dining room table with cutlery, and remove your tablecloth to allow the flooring to be seen in the shot. Add a large bowl of colorful fresh fruit and place it on the countertop or use it as a centerpiece on the kitchen table.

Besides the kitchen area, bathrooms are the second most powerful room in the property. Wipe down and clean all countertop spaces, showers/bathtubs, floors, and mirrors. Kill and remove all mold caused by bathroom moisture off any space where it grew. Clean every square inch of the outside toilet area. Remove all personal items from showers/tubs and countertops. Anything on the flooring of the shower should be removed along with any trash cans. 

Add fresh, neutral-colored towels and handcloths to wall hooks, towel bars, or towel rings. It's usually best if the color of the towels is slightly off from the wall's color. Add a brand-new roll of toilet paper to the toilet paper holder. If the spring-loaded toilet paper roll holder is not functional then replace it. Lastly, close the toilet lid.

Add fresh bedding and make the beds hotel-style for a luxurious look. It's a universal look we're accustomed to seeing in high-quality bedrooms. Hide laundry baskets, and old dirty sneakers, and remove all smells or odors. Smells don't appear in photos, but you're simultaneously getting ready for showings. So it just makes sense. If the Photographers don't like the smells, neither will a potential buyer.

If the sellers have pets, please consider removing them from the property so our camera equipment doesn't disturb or confuse their furry baby.  We want to protect both our Photographers and pets from harm. We recommend deodorizing areas where pet smells may be. Remove kitty litter boxes, clean up the dog house, replace any screen doors pets may have damaged, and put away their dog bowls or toys so they're out of sight. The impression of walking into a 5-star hotel is the goal and aim for the look and feel of the property before shooting.