Guidelines: Walking into a Property for Photography

When you first get to a property for photography, homeowners should have the home all set up for you right? NOT NECESSARILY! Unfortunately, the inconvenient truth is that homeowners need help with what will be potential eye sores in their real estate photography. Here is a list of helpful to-do's when you enter a home for photography... QUICK FACTS for home photography prep:

• Turn on lights to front of house. It's a nice glow for front shots.
• Hide any large outdoor trash receptacles that would show in photos

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• Turn on all the lights, including side lamps (Fans OFF). Put the homeowners or Realtor to work and have them start while you photograph the front (even over the stove lights!)
• Open blinds slats or open completely to see backyard or pool through living room (ask homeowners to help)
• Hide obvious personal photos/frames
• Hide shoes and jackets into a closet
• If something looks cluttered, let the homeowners help you hide objects
• No pool toys in the pool
• No animals in photos!

KITCHEN -

• Hide all trash cans...kitchen and bathroom
• Removed all refrigerator magnets (looks cluttery!)
• Remove cluttery kitchen such as a lot of small appliances on counters and hide Paper Towel Rolls!

BEDROOMS -

• Make sure all the beds are made and pillows look neat (nothing strewn about)

BATHROOMS -

• TOILET SEAT DOWN!
• Hide trash cans
• Hide toothbrushes (yuck!)

Our job isn't to clean or stage a home, but at the same time, there is some effort we can do to make our products stand out other than how we shoot photography. That means being prudent with items in the list above and going above and beyond. Realtors look to us to encourage unknowing homeowners to move or hide objects that just don't look appealing in real estate photos when potential buyers see their home. A lot of the above list can be sent to the Realtors ahead of time in their Estimate for Services. They can relay a lot of the prep that can be done before you arrive. Inevitably, there will be homes that still need a little attention to detail. Remember, if you miss something, it can always be edited out!  For example, some Realtors are particular about cracks in driveways - that they are distracting even if they are a part of the home. Still, you can remove or soften the looks of the cracks.

Guidelines: Walking into a Property for Photography is courtesy of www.myvisuallistingsprovider.com