How to Stage a Home for a Real Estate Photography Photoshoot
How to Stage A Listing Before Real Estate Photography is a collection of tips and ideas picked up over the years. A home that has been staged, particularly by a professional, helps to create a distraction-free setting, ensuring images with maximum impact. As a photographer, my goal is to focus the attention of potential buyers and help them connect at an emotional level, allowing them to envision their homes.
If your real estate professional directed you here, you are fortunate to be working with a professional that understands this and what it takes to successfully market a property. This article provides ideas and guidelines on how to stage a listing before the photoshoot to maximize its marketability.
General Tips
- Thoroughly clean the entire house; vacuum the carpets, mop the floors, clean countertops, and clean windows and mirrors.
- Turn all overhead lights and lamps on.
- Turn all ceiling fans off.
- Replace all burned-out light bulbs.
- Turn all TVs and computer screens off.
- Open blinds and arrange window treatments to let in outside light. Please make sure all blinds and window treatments line up and are pulled just enough to cover the top rail of the bottom window pane.
- Remove personal photographs, or replace with general landscape or object photography.
- Remove small floor rugs to reveal actual flooring.
- Place all shoes and jackets in closets.
- Make all beds.
- Empty all trash cans.
- Paint any rooms that need to be refreshed.
Tip: Replace light bulbs with the same color temperature. A light bulb’s temperature represents the color of the light it produces. Light bulbs rated “Daylight” produce a color similar to the sunlight in a room, thus complementing the interiors while minimizing color casts. For more information on light bulbs please visit the CNET Light bulb buying guide.
Exteriors
- Clean up landscaping, mow the lawn, trim shrubs, and clear leaves.
- Remove empty planters.
- Remove visible water hoses.
- Remove cars from the driveway and front of the home.
- Use a broom to remove cobwebs from eaves and door frames.
- Remove toys, sports balls, basketball goals, soccer goals, etc.
- Remove swimming pool vacuum hoses.
- Clean and clear the gutters.
- Make sure the roof has no moss or dry rot.
- Check your house trim and correct and paint as needed.
- Ensure your front door, and storm dorm, are thoroughly cleaned and repaint or replace the front door as needed.
Tip: For the real estate agent please don’t park your in front of the house. It’s usually best to park one or two houses away.
Family and Living Rooms
- Remove stacks of magazines, papers, mail, etc.
- De-clutter fireplace mantel or hearth and no more than 5 items, including artwork.
- Clean interior of fireplace and re-paint if needed.
- Fluff and arrange furniture pillows.
- Remove kids toys.
Kitchen
- Clear countertops completely.
- Remove any pots and pans from the stovetop.
- Remove any items stored in the microwave or oven.
- Remove any kitchen towels hanging from oven door handles.
- Remove knife blocks, baking supplies, paper towels, mail, etc.
- Leave out just one small appliance like your coffee maker.
- Remove all magnets, pictures, and artwork from the front and sides of the refrigerator and other appliances.
- Remove all items stored on top of the fridge.
- Hide garbage cans in the pantry or closet.
- Remove dishes from the sink and place them in the dishwasher.
Bedrooms
- Your bedrooms should be thoroughly cleaned, carpets steamed and painted in soft neutral colors to instill the feeling of tranquility.
- Make the beds.
- Use fresh linens and bedspreads.
- Remove personal items from night stands and dressers.
- De-clutter the room.
- De-clutter the closets.
Bathrooms
- Your bathrooms should be thoroughly cleaned and mopped, counter tops, windows and mirrors should be clean and free of streaks and marks:
- De-clutter the counter tops and remove tooth brushes, cups and soaps.
- Remove all toiletries from showers and tubs, including shampoo bottles, loafas and soaps.
- Replace the toilet paper with a full new roll. [Read more: Learn how to fold toilet paper.]
- Remove any magazine and book racks.
- Remove towels and robes hanging behind the door or on the walls.
- Replace towels with fresh towels with colors that compliment the bathroom. [Read more: Great ideas on how to display towels.]
- Replace any burnt light bulbs and please make sure all bulbs have the same the same color temperature.
