PROFESSIONAL PHOTOSHOOT HOME PREPARATION LIST
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 have created this preparation checklist of things you should do prior to your scheduled shoot.
General Prep
❑ Be 100% shoot-ready: Cleaning and staging needs to be done before I arrive, preferably the day before your photoshoot. I MIGHT choose to move very 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. I will not move furniture, trash, trash cans, gym equipment, toiletries, clear counters, or furnishings in anyway. Also, I will not wait to photograph room-by-room as rooms are cleaned or prepped for photos. The property needs to be clean and all rooms staged to 100% ready by my arrival time. If it will not be ready, please alert your agent as soon as possible so they can let me know right away that we need to reschedule the shoot.
❑ Secure or remove pets: I love pets but we cannot have them onsite for your photoshoot. Dogs must be secured or off the property to ensure the safety of myself and my equipment. Cats should be secured as well, although they usually pose fewer problems than dogs (they often just hide). Please do hide all pet food and water bowls.
❑ Plan not to be seen: All occupants should plan on being away from the property during the shoot. If there are mitigating circumstances and that isn't possible, all occupants should remain in one designated room (office or primary bedroom often work well) where they can't be seen during the entire 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. This is especially important if I will be capturing 360 panoramic scans for a Zillow 3D Home Tour. Please plan on a minimum of 90 minutes for the photoshoot - but it might take longer. Please ask your agent how long the photographer has alotted for the photoshoot appointment.
❑ Use the garage for storage: I normally do not photograph garages (unless i is an incredibly special showcase garage), so this is a great place to store items you’d like to hide.
Outside Prep
❑ Clear the cars: Make sure no cars are in the driveway. If possible, move cars from the street in front of the home - preferably at least 3 houses down. We want as clear a view as possible of your property and we don't want to see the vehicles from the windows of the upstairs or downstairs.
❑ Do NOT wash off driveways on the day of the shoot: Watering driveways will almost always cause patches of dry spots and puddles. Not good.
❑ Hide trash cans: Trash cans can be placed on the side of the property or in the garage but the garage is best. I will most likely not be photographing the garage.
❑ Hide garden hoses: Do this the day before the shoot since water hoses can drip water onto the pavement when being moved, leaving puddles in your pictures.
❑ Mow and trim the yard: Do this at least 24 hours prior to your photoshoot.
❑ Turn off sprinklers: Do not water the day of the shoot to prevent puddles on pavement and a darkening color of the lawn. It's not a good look!
❑ Pick up the 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 your agent 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 the For-Sale sign or For Lease sign: The sign should be removed from the property or installed after the shoot, since visible branding violates local MLS policies and cannot always be realistically edited out.
❑ Clean patio furniture: Dust and remove cobwebs from all outdoor furniture. Do not hose down your furniture the day of your shoot, since this can create puddles.
Inside Prep
❑ Remove all personal photos. Discuss with your agent if you should replace those with art or leave a clean space on the wall. If in doubt, please remove those photos.
❑ Clean under the beds and be sure to remove objects that will be visible in a photo.
❑ Straighten all chairs and space them nice and evenly.
❑ Remove all children's toys.
❑ Declutter kitchen: A few items on the counters are usually fine, but dishes, sponges, rags, etc. should be put away. It is best to remove all magnets, pictures, etc. from the refrigerator and remove throw rugs from the floor. I also recommend removing and hiding away the padded kitchen feet mats. Please hide those.
❑ Declutter bathrooms: Toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors, and other "personal" items should be hidden. Decorative unused soaps, candles, flowers, etc. are preferred. It’s also good to remove all throw rugs from the floor.
❑ Replace toilet roll with full roll.
❑ Put toilet seats down.
❑ Hide all bathroom trash cans in a closet or garage.
❑ Tidy up the primary bedroom walk-in closets: unless its an extra large closet I wont photograph it so it makes a great place to hide clutter; however, if we do need to photograph it, reduce the closet's clothes and contents by 50%. Show off all that nice space.
❑ 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 with views: please set the blind slats to "wide open" position.
❑ Turn on lights: Before I arrive, please make sure all interior lights are turned on. If need-be, please replace all burned-out bulbs at least 24 hours before the photoshoot. I am shooting with the lights off more often now for a higher-end final aesthetic but I need to know where the lights are located and if they are working properly in order for me to decide to capture images with them on or off.
❑ PLEASE turn off all ceiling fans - including exterior fans: Before I arrive, please make sure all ceiling fans are turned off.
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 at least 24 hours before the photoshoot.
❑ 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.
Thank you for your time and patience to go through this checklist! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me anytime.
Scott Hamilton
Owner/Photographer of AustinListingPhotos.com
AustinListingPhotos@gmail.com
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