Prepping for estate agent photos

[TheCatCameBack112]

EA is coming on Wednesday to take marketing pictures. Our home was looking a little tired in some areas. We've been here 6 y and some of the rooms haven't been updated since we did an overhaul of decor and new carpets when we moved in. I'm aiming not to spend lots.

So far we have done the following

Outside:
Painted door step
Masonry paint freshen under windows
Cut hedges
Weeded driveway and outside our front wall
Need to cut lawn but it's been too wet

Hall/stairs/landing (was very tired)
Cleaned carpets with a rug doctor
Painted hallway light grey
Painted skirting and door frames

Bathroom
Resealed bath and shower
Need to touch up grout with a grout pen

General
Bought some plants
Touched up scuffed paint where we had the colours to do so
Cleaned upstairs carpets and mattresses
Covered DDs paint stained desk with some fablon stuff and did the bedside table to match
Had a bit of a chuck out and stored lots of stuff in cupboards
Put away family photos, knick knacks

Thinking about the critique threads of houses on rightmove I'm trying to ensure things are as 'done' as possible, and am very aware the photos need to be good.

Is there anything else you would consider (accepting you can't see my house!) to get 'photo ready'? Any advice for the actual photos on the day? Positioning, wise angle or not, lights on or off etc

Thanks

Sounds like you're well on top of it. Sounds a bit obvious but make sure it's immaculately tidy (I aimed for "no signs of people actually living in this house"!) but also welcoming; some nice plants or flowers, cushions on the sofa, maybe some nice candles dotted around, that kind of thing.

Agree it sounds like you’re well on top of things and have done more than most Sellers ahead of photos.

If you have a cat or dog I would hide evidence of things like litter trays/bedding/food bowls for photos as some buyers don’t like them. Also keep them out of the house for viewings where possible.

If you have a good photographer they will make suggestions themselves on the day.

It's worth taking some photos yourself (best guess of where the photographer would stand for a good view) - sometimes unexpected things jump out at you!

I was going to say exactly the same as @steppingout. Stand at the doorway and take a quick photo. The look really carefully at the picture with a critical eye.

Make sure beds are beautifully made - smooth duvet covers pulled down low enough that you can't see the sheet underneath.

All sounds good to me. Re photos:

Lights on makes me think it’s gloomy so turn them off
Anything personal in bathrooms - get rid of toothbrushes, mismatched towels, anything really except a decent towel and maybe a posh shower gel/hand soap
Clear the kitchen surfaces of all condiments etc
Weather is awful here today but stage the garden as best you can. We just mowed our lawn so go for it, you can do it in the wet and it will look loads better
Obviously remove all clutter that yells “not enough storage”

Agree with all other previous suggestions too.

Best of luck, exciting for you!

Make sure you have freshly made beds - I hate seeing wrinkled poorly made beds! One of the few times I ironed bedding was for EA photos.

Be prepared to shuffle things in and out of rooms to make them look uncluttered and more spacious.
Pet hate, toiletries on display.

Yes yes yes to taking photos now, and seeing what jumps out.

I'd also cut the grass today, however damp it is (unless its physically raining). That gives it a couple of days to settle a little before the photos. Take off the minimium you can to neaten it up.

Clean the windows, open the curtains as wide as you can, and lights off where possible.

This isn’t for photos so much but for viewings I was very hot on how the house smelt. Opening windows as much as possible, burning nice scented candles and incense (not during or just before viewings but keeping it up regularly) - it was a good opportunity to use some expensive ones I’ve been given over the years and not used! Keeping bed linen freshly laundered etc.

Oh and cleaning all the light switches/ extractor fans/ door and cupboards handles

I like studio pottery etc and have it around my house. However whenever we’re selling I always thin it out and pop a lot of personal ornaments, photos or bits away and have a much more minimalists look everywhere. Firstly it makes the house look more spacious, secondly it depersonalises it so people can imagine themselves there, not me, and thirdly it’s easier to dust & keep immaculately clean for viewings. Good luck!

Hmm I found any fragrances suspicious, wondering if they were covering up damp or pet smells.

Useful to walk round yourselves and take photos. You'll spot all the things mentioned and more.

The bathroom is the big one for me. Towels gone, only a fresh hand towel and no toiletries, bath toys (or fridge for that matter) and some swanky soap left out.

The other is kitchen work top clutter. Remove as much as you can humanly shove in a cupboard for the pics. Not sustainable for lots of viewings but you want to get them in the door first.

Move your bins and dirty laundry!

@DiscoBeat thats why I said not during a viewing or just before because you don’t want it in people’s faces. And why I said about opening windows for fresh air. But I do think burning some nice scented candles helps lift the general background smells of things like curtains and sofas (and is something I’ve carried on with since the viewings because it is just nice!)

We do have cats, which is one of the reasons I wanted to get the carpets clean (the grime that came off them - ugh) as I'm aware we may have become nose blind! Thanks for the tips around erasing all cat related items for pics and viewings! I've got one nice candle with a matching oil diffuser, but don't use any plugs or sprays.

I'll get some fresh flowers tomorrow, I have a few plants already.

Also great advice re taking pictures as the agent would so I can see what looks good or not

Sounds like you're well on top of it OP!
As well as the great suggestions here I'd add ruthlessly decluttering your kitchen worktops, you want as little left out as you can get away with. Put some fresh flowers in a vase. Clean the windows inside and out- you want as much natural light flooding in as possible. Also, when I move I tend to buy a cheap set of white towels for the photography and viewings, bright white, and as fluffy as possible. Even towels that are immaculately clean can look a bit tired in photographs. Iron your bedding and make sure the beds are perfectly made with the pillows puffed up. I'd take a look at the photography that your agent already has on Rightmove for other properties, and be vocal if there are things you don't like, both on the day, and later when they send the photographs to you for approval. My pet hate is that extreme wide angle lens that some estate agents use- its meant to make the rooms look bigger, but just makes all the angles looks weird and the rooms look odd. Or the inane 'lifestyle' shots of things like coffee cups and bowls of fruit!

A good tip I got was to use a mirror to look at your rooms from a new perspective - you'll notice things you wouldn't otherwise!

When we sold our last house we chucked everything that didn't have somewhere to be stored (like mops/ hoover/ excess shoes and the laundry bin) in our cars. I took all our dirty washing to work a few times but the house looked great and sold after three days so was worth it!

@SquashPenguin that really made me laugh. I've got nowhere to put my mop so it may well end up in the back of my car!

My car boot was always full of our clutter during photos and viewings - it's an easy way to get rid of stuff you want to bring back immediately afterwards. I would put the dog bed in there too because it probably smelt bad but we stopped noticing after a while.

Sounds slightly crazy but it works for quick decluttering so who cares.

Our agent was really good at prep and photos and told us to take away all evidence of pets and children, for the photos and the viewings. So same as PPs, it was food bowls, baskets of toys, changing mats, high chair etc in the car each time. He told us to leave the cot but dress it with a nice blanket. We also took our laundry basket full of dirty washing in the boot 🤣

Basically very clean, uncluttered, nice toiletries, candles and vases, maintenance done (like you have) and green plants and flowers dotted around. Decent bedding (we had a set for our bed we left in the cupboard to get out for viewings) and nice cushions and throws on the sofa.

I thought it was a bit arduous at the time, but did it, and we sold very quickly for more than asking price in London in a difficult market

If you use extension leads anywhere, remove them from sight, they scream “not enough sockets”. I always spot them in photos.

If you've got a dining table, set it nicely with a cloth if you have one, mats, cutlery, glasses etc

Otherwise it's just a big blank space.

Agree with the washing and toiletries from the bathroom in the car if you don't have a cupboard to put them in

Bare kitchen worktops except maybe a kettle.

Nothing on top of cupboards or wardrobes, it looks really obvious in photos.

Sounds like you've done all the stuff it's worth spending time on cleaning up paintwork and carpets

I wouldn't set a dining room table, but I would put flowers/fruit bowl on.

Check the top of your kitchen cupboards aren't full of junk. Same with any wardrobes. For viewing, make sure you sort any over flowing built in cupboards. People often open things like airing cupboards, and if a pile of towels fall on them, it can suggest lack of storage.

Clean windows.

Just make sure it's homely, without being cluttered