It’s often true that “A picture tells a thousand words.” That’s why there’s one day in the sale of your home on which you particularly need to be on your game, because the results are perhaps the most crucial aspects of your home’s marketing. We’re talking about photo day.
By the time you reach that day, you should have completed all the prep work, following advice we offer here, here, and here. In a nutshell: If it’s dirty, clean it; if it’s broken, fix it; if it’s ugly, get rid of it, and so on.
What the camera captures will be the cornerstone of your listing the entire time your home is on the market. Before choosing to see your home in person, most buyers will see your listing online, and they will likely go directly to the photos. Those photos will often determine whether or not someone wants to see your home in the first place.
For starters, we always recommend that a professional home photographer takes the photos. Smart phone photos will not cut it in this competitive market. That’s why we hire a professional home photographer at no extra cost to our sellers. These professionals typically use the latest and best equipment and often have the technology and wherewithal to ensure shots are the best that can be taken.
Once all of these arrangements are in place, run through this 10-step checklist to ensure you’re really ready for the photographer.
1. Your home already should be in market-ready shape. Double check any work, such as painting or repairs to make sure they’re complete. If you’re using a stager, everything should already be in place.
2. Make sure everything is clean, swept, vacuumed, dusted, wiped down. This goes without saying, but it needs repeating over and over. This should be a daily—or at least semi-daily—occurrence the whole time your home is on the market.
3. Ensure all shades, blinds, and curtains are open (unless there’s an unattractive view out of a given window).
4. You should have already ensured that all lights work and no bulbs are out, but now you need to turn all of them on.
5. In bathrooms, it’s usually nice to hang towels (that match the room’s décor) on empty towel racks, but remove used towels, bath robes, or anything else that might appear as clutter or a distraction. Ensure nothing is draped over the side of shower doors or bathtub. We also recommend removing everything from bathroom counters—soap dispensers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc. Possibly a small plant or something can rest on the back of the toilet, but when in doubt, just remove it. Make sure all toilet seats are down.
6. Throughout the home, area rugs, such as in the living room, are definitely fine, but it’s usually best to pick up all runners or other floor coverings, such as doormats and bathmats. If the floors are wood, it’s often better to uncover them, as the open, uninterrupted flow of the floor typically photographs very well.
7.When in doubt, an empty surface is usually better than a surface with something on it. Shelving that is neat and orderly and not crowded is fine, but other flat surfaces tend to look better open.
8. This is related to #7, but in the kitchen, we typically encourage everything removed from the counters, even appliances such as coffee makers, and particularly things like countertop microwave ovens. You may return these to the counter once photos are complete, but pictures that reflect clean, open, and spacious countertops appeal to buyers.
9. Place settings on the dining room table are OK, but don’t go overboard. Make sure the settings are tasteful, everything matches, and that they add and not detract from the décor. If you don’t have attractive utensils, plates, and glassware just skip it and leave the table nice and clean.
10. For furniture throughout, remove things such as quilts draped over the back of chairs or sofas. For bedding, solid colors work best for bedspreads. Pillows are OK, but additional blankets thrown or folded on the top of the bedspread should go. This can be a matter of personal preference, but blankets and spreads with busy patterns tend to grab too much of the eye’s attention in a photo and detract from other room features.
That’s about it. Remember, these are the last things you will need to do the day of or day before photo day. Any serious changes—furniture moving, painting, rearranging, eliminating clutter, etc.—should all be complete before running through this final checklist. You want to make sure your home is photogenic, because it can be the difference between a buyer scheduling a showing or simply scrolling past yours to explore the competition.
Christopher Prawdzik and his wife Angela Logomasini are licensed Realtors® with Samson Properties in Alexandria and are members of the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors® Top Producer’s Club. Operating as D.C. Region Real Estate, they serve the Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland real estate market and offer comprehensive real estate services, including 4½% full-service listings.
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