Preparation & Presentation is key when selling or renting your home and if you are spending money to hire Professional Photographer, please ensure you are doing your part to make your listing looks its best.
When preparing for Photography make sure you take a step back and look at your property from a buyer’s perspective. A clean, tidy and well-presented house tells the prospective buyers that the house has been well loved.
Here’s a list of things to consider prior to Photography and Open Inspections at your home.
INSIDE
Eliminate Clutter- Kitchen bench tops and bathrooms vanities should all be clear. Toasters and kettles are fine, but phone chargers and other KnickKnacks just look messy.
Declutter rooms- Remove some pieces of furniture if it makes the room look too full. The more space between furniture the bigger the room looks.
Remove pet beds and pet bowls, remember not everyone likes a house with indoor pets.
Avoid hiding things under the bed, most of the time this shows up in photos and is not a good look.
Remove unnecessary and personalised items.
Clean curtains and blinds. For Photography, ensure all blinds are open and natural light is able to flow into the house. This also gives the buyer a glimpse or the gardens views from each room.
Paint interior walls or remove marks on walls.
Clean carpets or polish floorboards
Replace broken fixtures, i.e. curtain rails, handles, taps.
Ensure beds are made and bedside lamps have globes that are working. Remove dirty laundry and anything off the floor.
Ensure bathrooms are cleaned. Remove toiletries from the shower and put the toilet seats down.
Once all de-cluttering is done, then CLEAN, make sure the house is spotless.
NOTE - Dust does not show up in photographs, so if you are short on time, then decluttering is first priority.
OUTSIDE
Mow lawns and tidy garden beds. Remove all palm fronds, these just look messy.
Weed garden and prune trees.
Remove ashtrays and smoking paraphernalia from decks and patios
Ensure if decks are washed that you allow enough time for it to dry. Puddles on decks and driveways do not look good in photographs.
Remove toys and garden clutter, tidy garden hoses and remove pool cleaner from the pool, after using it of course. Remove toys and garden clutter, tidy garden hoses and remove pool cleaner from the pool, after using it of course. Try and do this the day before or at least a few hours before to avoid wet patches around the pool.
Wash windows and fly screens.
Use a high pressure hose to wash the outside of the house. You will be surprised the difference this makes.
Organise and tidy garage. Remove cars and boats from driveway. These often obstruct the view of the front of the house.
Prior to the photographer arriving, please turn on all lights and open all blinds.
REMEMBER... This may seem like a lot of things to do, but this is your most valuable asset and the little things you do, can make a huge difference.