How to prepare your home for real estate photos.

When you’re looking to sell your home, real estate photographers can be one of the first people to check out your house for potential buyers. And with good reason — a good photographer can make any house look amazing. They’ll also be the first to know if their photos don’t turn out as well as they’d hoped, or if there are structural issues with the house that could jeopardize its sale. Other than the exterior, a real estate photographer will probably spend the most time checking out your home from within. This is why it’s important to have your place in tip-top shape before they arrive. Here are some handy tips on how you can prepare your home for potential buyers:

Make your home look its best

It’s important to have a clean home that is well-lit. If your home has a lot of dark corners and low-light, it might not look its best on camera.

Be sure to clean before you have photos taken

This is one of the most important tips of all. The last thing you want is for real estate photos to be taken, and then to have the potential buyer walk in and see dirty surfaces or clutter. You’ll want to make sure your home looks spotless and pristine before the photographer arrives. This means vacuuming and sweeping, cleaning out drawers and dusting off window sills, wiping down furniture, etc. It also means that you don’t have anything up on walls that you don’t want them to end up with in their photos — especially if it could be visible after some digital editing. Cleaning will help eliminate any distractions from the photographer’s view when they’re taking photos, so make sure you do it!

Have fresh white goods and towels

Many buyers may be drawn to your home not just because it looks nice, but because it has the latest appliances and bathroom towels. But if your white goods are a few years old and you don’t have any used towels on hand, these items will be lost in the sea of new items on display. It’s worth investing a little time into keeping everything as pristine as possible so that your place is ready for a photo shoot.

Be wary of black marks on surfaces

It’s not uncommon for the white walls of most people’s homes to be covered in black marks. This happens when you don’t clean your walls and furniture regularly, so it’s important that you keep up with this task on a daily basis. You should also be wary of any blind spots around your home — these are areas where light can’t reach and make your house look darker than it is. Make sure your blind spot is well-lit, but also consider adding more lighting if needed.

Check out the location and lighting

Photo shoots can take hours, so it’s important to make sure your home is as comfortable and prepared as possible. This includes checking out the location and lighting and making sure you have enough natural light to work with. Other than the exterior, photographers will probably spend the most time in your home from within. To find out what type of light the photographer likes, check out their website or ask them when you’re first reaching out about scheduling a shoot. You could also ask for recommendations for locations that are good for photography or try asking around on social media for photographers who specialize in real estate photography.

Wrapping up

- Have your home professionally cleaned - Wash the outside of your house and keep the lawn mowed - Make sure your home is void of clutter and you have everything in its place.

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