A guide to preparing your home for real estate photography and showings.
Are you getting ready to put your home on the market? Here is the secret to selling your home faster and for more money:
Professional Photography & Home Staging
In this guide, we will go into detail and cover what to do in every room of your home to get it ready for photography and showings. Before we get started, let’s remember why this is so important.
Homes with professional photography receive an average of 87% more views than homes without. National Association of REALTORS®, 2023
Your home’s first showing is online! If your home has a stunning cover photo for its online listing, people will want to click on it and see what else this beauty has to offer. This opens the door to a great amount of potential buyers.
81% of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home. National Association of REALTORS®, 2023
The most common rooms that were staged included the living room (91%), kitchen (81%), primary bedroom (81%), and dining room (69%). If potential buyers feel comfortable and inspired when they view your home, they are way more likely to be moved to make a competitive offer!
Here, I will cover five categories for every single room. If you focus on these five things as you get your home ready, you are sure to sell your home faster and for more money! Here they are:
Declutter
Depersonalize
Repair
Clean
Decorate
Let’s start with the living room
The goal for this room is open and inviting.
Declutter
Remove any furniture, kids toys, exercise equipment, or unattractive gaming consoles.
Open up the space and arrange the furniture in a way that makes the room appear larger.
Depersonalize
This is important to keep the environment neutral so that the potential buyer can visualize themselves in your space and also a safety feature.
Remove any personal photos or decorations with your name on it.
Remove personal items that may be distracting. Think of this space almost like a hotel or Airbnb.
Repair
Scan the room for cosmetic repairs – the holes left from removing personal decorations from your walls is a good place to start.
Replace lightbulbs if needed.
Clean
Dust ceiling fans, blinds, tabletops, and baseboards.
Launder blankets and vacuum couches.
Clean the floors.
Decorate
Optional tip: Hang your curtains as high as possible allowing them to stretch all the way to the floor. This elevates a room and makes it feel larger.
Add some neutral throw pillows and a decorative coffee table setting.
Stay away from seasonal decorations because this will time stamp your home especially for your photos!
Primary bedroom
This space should be calming and relaxing.
Declutter
Consider pre-packing some items to create more space and less clutter.
Arrange the furniture to look spacious. Make sure the bed is far from the door.
Remove unnecessary items and trinkets from the tops of dressers and tabletops.
Create open space in the closet.
Depersonalize
Continue to remove and pack anything with your picture or name on it.
It is advised to pack and secure any special or valuable belongings.
Repair
Scan the room for cosmetic repairs.
Replace lightbulbs if needed.
Clean
Dust ceiling fans, blinds, tabletops, and baseboards.
Launder bedding.
Clean the floors.
Decorate
Consider a new bedspread if your current one is worn or outdated.
Add some decorative pillows.
Keep colors and patterns neutral (think white sheets and beige accents)
If you would like to add a little color, blue is a safe bet. Blue evokes calmness and relaxation, which is perfect for the primary bedroom.
Dining Room
Keep the dining room minimalist and simple.
Declutter
Remove furniture that make the space seem cluttered or small
Depersonalize
If you have a family calendar in this room, it would be a good idea to pack it up. A busy calendar can be distracting and it is best to keep your business private.
Repair
Replace lightbulbs if needed.
Scan the room for cosmetic repairs.
Clean
Dust light fixtures, blinds, tabletops, and baseboards.
Clean the floor.
Decorate
Add a simple table setting or centerpiece.
Kitchen
This space should be clean and functional.
Declutter
Pre-pack anything that you don’t use often.
Clear the counters and move unnecessary appliances into the cabinets.
Put away all dishes.
Depersonalize
Remove and pre-pack anything with your photo or name on it.
Repair
Fix squeaky cabinets.
Touch up paint.
Fix leaky sink.
Replace lightbulbs if needed.
Clean
Scrub the grout.
Descale the faucet.
Dust the top of the fridge, blinds, oven vent hood, and baseboards.
Wipe down all surfaces including cabinet doors.
Clean oven and dishwasher.
Deodorize the garbage disposal.
Have a friend or your awesome REALTOR come and inspect the cleanness of your kitchen. They will see the splash of tomato sauce that your mind has accepted as part of the decor.
Decorate
Keep it minimal and simple.
Add some fresh flowers in an elegant vase.
Bathrooms
Think of this space like a hotel bathroom.
Declutter
Keep the countertops clear with just the basics.
Remove the training toilet if you have a potty-training toddler.
Depersonalize
Put away personal belongings and jewelry.
Repair
Replace lightbulbs if needed.
Fix drippy sinks.
Scan the room for cosmetic repairs.
Clean
Descale faucets and shower heads.
Scrub grout and caulkingÂ
Dust light fixtures, light switches, cabinets, and baseboards.
Clean the toilet.
Sweep and mop the floor.
Decorate
Consider a white shower curtain to brighten up and neutralize the space.
Add some fresh, neatly folded or hung white towels and a shower rug that is neutral and cozy.
Swap the disposable soap dispenser for a decorative soap dispenser.
Office
Focus on functionality and peace.
Declutter
Pre-pack papers and excess books that you do not currently need.
Organize the items that you do need in a functional and pleasing way. Containers are great!
Everything should have a place.
Depersonalize
Remove personal photos.
File away any personal information.
Repair
Replace lightbulbs if needed.
Scan the room for cosmetic repairs.
Clean
Dust ceiling fans, blinds, desk, and baseboards.
Clean floors
Decorate
Keep it neutral.
Add some color with a plant.
Kids rooms and guest rooms
Strive to make your additional bedrooms look spacious and inviting.
Declutter
Pre-pack anything that you don’t use often.
Use this time to pair down on toys, clothes, furniture, and other items.
Depersonalize
Remove personal photos.
Repair
Replace lightbulbs if needed.
Check for cosmetic repairs.
Clean
Dust ceiling fans, blinds, dressers, and baseboards.
Launder bedding.
Clean the floors.
Decorate
For kids rooms, stick with whatever theme your kid currently has. Don’t redecorate the entire room. Just keep it minimal and simple.
If you have a room that is used for storage, consider clearing the storage items and staging it as a bedroom.
Final thoughts
I hope you find this guide to be helpful as you prepare your home for the market. If you would like to print this checklist, click on the download button below!
If you love this checklist, please share it with others and let me know in the comments section below.
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