Summary
To market a house efficiently, one must have professional photos done to showcase the house's best features. Before getting the professional photos taken, one must get the house ready to sell by doing the following: cleaning the house, removing clutter, and depersonalizing the space. Once this is done, 21 tips can be followed to get the house ready for a photo shoot and the market, such as turning on all the lights, removing personal photographs, hiding cords or wires, and cleaning kitchen counters and sink. Other tips include hiding laundry baskets, trimming bushes or trees, and putting away all waste bins. A final walk-through is always recommended to check if anything has been missed, making way for a successful photo shoot and sales process.
Are you getting your house ready for the market? Before you put it on the market, you’ll need to have professional photos done.
And before you have professional photos done, you’ll need to get your house ready to sell. That means you’ll need to clean, declutter, and depersonalize the house. Start by decluttering the house, and get as much clutter out of the house as possible. Once done, you’ll be able to clean, organize, and straighten up before the photo shoot so that you can market and show your house in its best light.
Here are 21 tips on how to get your house ready for a photo shoot and for the market:
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- Clean the whole house (vacuum carpet, mop hard floors, clean countertops, windows, appliances, sinks, etc.)
- Replace all burned-out light bulbs and turn on all lights during the photo shoot
- Remove personal photographs (or replace with general landscape/object photographs) to depersonalize the space
- Make all beds and fluff pillows
- Remove small floor rugs to reveal actual flooring and get a cleaner look
- Put all clothes in closets or dressers and hide laundry baskets
- Consider removing some furniture to make the house appear more spacious
- Clear and clean kitchen counters and sink and remove any appliances, utensils, dishes, etc. that are not essential
- Lower all toilet seats and remove any toiletries, towels, bath mats, etc. that are not needed
- Put away all waste bins and any other clutter inside and outside the house
- Pull cars out of the driveway and park them away from the front of the house
- Garbage cans should not be visible in front or back of the house (store in garage if possible)
- Remove all outside clutter such as hoses, rakes, children’s toys, etc.
- Mow the lawn and trim any overgrown bushes or trees
- Add some color to the front porch or backyard with flowers or plants
- Open all curtains and blinds to let in natural light
- Turn off ceiling fans and TVs to avoid motion blur
- Hide any cords or wires that are visible
- Add some decorative touches such as candles, books, vases, etc. to create a cozy atmosphere
- Complete a final walk-through before the photographer arrives to check for any missed details