Prepping the house for marketing pics

[longlimbsandfrozenswims]

We're putting our house on the market, and the EA is coming to take pics this weekend. Unfortunately the weather isn't going to be great but we need to get the process moving.

I've been tidying and decluttering, and have got a list of bits and bobs to do over the next couple of days, like retouch some scuffed paintwork, buy a new shower curtain and replace a knackered lampshade, etc!

Our house is never going to look like a show home, and I don't want to declutter all the life out of it, but what else should I be thinking about to try and get it looking its best for marketing photos? What do you like/hate to see when you're browsing on RM?

(And yes I know it's about price, location, floor plans and room sizes etc in the end but there's no harm in trying to make it look attractive too, right?)

Put loo lids down.

Remove clutter from bathrooms and kitchens - doesnt need to be empty, just not over-full. (Literally just for the photos so feel free to put it back afterwards. It looks worse in photos than in real life.)

Look at the photos yourself before estate agent leaves so you can redo any if necessary.

Sounds silly, but make sure duvets look tight, that is crease free. No clutter on worktops in kitchen, or anywhere else either. Remove any visible boxes that are storing items, e.g boxes under beds or on wardrobes- this makes it look like no storage. Don't worry about weather not being great, thry can filter things.

I agree with loo lids down. I hate to see a gaping maw toilet with the lid up.

My friend’s house is on the market and isn’t budging. The photos are not doing the house any favours. The bedrooms look very lived in, beds made but rumpled, lots of ‘stuff’ that should’ve been hidden away. The living spaces also look a bit too lived in with sad and baggy sofa cushions, visible marks on the walls from former pictures. Clutter in the kitchen - looks crowded and scruffy.

Use your phone and stage some photos. Try angles and so on and use those photos to tweak what you see.

Put things away wherever possible. I tend to think about storage, and if there is enough space for stuff. Also, floor space. I have a couple of footstools but would move those so that there is more space to walk. Maybe consider storing some stuff off site.

Made beds, curtains straight rather than shoved open, this is your most expensive asset, show it as that. I used to stage my house for viewings, so a nice hand soap, full toilet roll, pristine white towels, I used to put ours under the bed in a storage box.

Take stuff of windowsills and the kitchen, remove as much as you can from the worktops, you don't have to live like that, just for the photos. Take anything off the tops of the cupboards too. Don't have a million shoes out or every coat everyone owns on any hooks or backs of the doors. You want it to look like you are not bursting at the seams. Look at wires and cables that scream not enough plug sockets. Bathroom, don't have loads of bottles of body wash, shampoo etc out on display. Have some but not 18 bottles out.

We actually hired a storage unit and shoved in so much stuff to make it look less cluttered.

If you feel brave enough, name change, take photos, post them on here and we can help you with feedback before it goes on Rightmove. I have posted my own house on here many years ago for brutal feedback, it helps to know what people think.

I'm a bit obsessive about crease free duvets anyway, a crumpled bed is one of my pet hates.

I'm just worried that garden will look really shit - we have just a walled courtyard with pots and some sad-looking climbers in this weather - but I suppose I'll just have to give it a good sweep and hide the twiggiest pots round the side of the house!

Go round and take photos of every room from different angles. Review and then move/ remove anything that jumps out/ looks out of place.

my pal got a storage unit and hid all her day to day clutter and crap in her garage and car (and parked it up the street, it’s a good area) just out of photo range while the photographer was in.

apart from the obvious things i’d also look up for cobwebs and attack them.

I sold my house early last year, and my EA said his pet peeve was a tea towel over the handle of the oven door. So made sure this was removed.

He also said to remove the pet beds off the floor and any dog paraphernalia just for the shoot. And yes, beds made, not too much on worktops in the kitchen, loo seats down. My cupboards were ready to explode putting stuff away for the photos and the viewings. Luckily we sold the house to the first person who walked through the door.

No washing in the washing machine!

Great suggestions so far.

Weather and outside shots
Dont worry a friends EA job included photo shopping a sunny sky and flames in fires so ask if they touch up the photos.

Garden
take photo from a your windows upstairs in this weather that may the preferred viewing postion.
zone it - eating / play area / tools sheds.
Make your bins look "nice" and easy to move on bin day.
clean away dead leaves etc cut off any ivy etc invasions from NDN
plants / pot out some pansy trays or other cheap flower by the front door and in the eye line of the kitchen windows. If you keep dead heading (& feed) they keep blooming

Inside

Security
You are putting your life on show dont leave stuff in the pictures which create a security problem
Keys storage
Childrens names

Declutter
Take pictures and decide what to remove
Get a big box and have it ready to collect the daily stuff which is needed but not needed in the pictures

Lighting turn on all the lights and take your own photos first
check for grey spots
If the EA is not bringing professional lighting think of investing in cheap plug in work lights
having a lamp that can be on but hidden in the pictures
Up the lighting fixtures wattage
check the type of light colour warm tones give soft/cosy light effects
Defuss bright spot lighting by moving or blocking or tone change

Bathrooms you dont need the toilet brush in your pics ...

Bedding
hotel style fluffy pillows by dressing 2nd pair in white/cream and moving them between rooms
Bedding opt for non "pattern/busy" in a busy colorful room

Good luck

Thanks all, some great suggestions. My EA also mentioned tea towel thing 😂

No kids or pets around, but I need to make sure my office doesn't have anything identifiable in it, good tip.

I would honestly take pictures and you’ll very quickly see where the clutter is. We had a cleaner in who sent me photos of her work when she was done (I was out) and I couldn’t believe how cluttered it look. We keep our home very neat and tidy but it shows up completely different in photos. Take photos and then compare to what you see online in marketing photos. That will give you a good idea.

Sold my house last year in 6 days by hiring a storage unit and decluttering to within an inch of my houses life!
Be utterly ruthless!

I did this two weeks ago. Cupboards bursting at the seams with stuff shoved in but the photos looked amazing as a result!
Went on the market last weekend and got 2 set of viewers going in today!

I had professional photos to sell my last house. I was aiming for show home and no one lives there. I'm a minimalist anyway.

Put everything away so buyers can see how much space they have. Scrub everything and sweep up outside. Remove any bins for photos. A professional photographer will photoshop a nice day into the photos.

I don't like Too Many Plants indoors especially the ones that get moved from Room A to Room B .
I don't want to live in a bloody jungle .

One trailing plant like a Devils Ivy or Tradescantia in the kitchen or lounge .

And ridiculous wide angled lens shots where you see a 4' wide item look 7' wide , then the rest of the room is kidding on too !

Well, I've spent the last two days clearing, primping and titivating! The house has probably never looked so good and dh is scared to sit down anywhere 😅

I've hotel-ed the beds, tidied every bookshelf, replaced light bulbs, scrubbed every corner and Viakal-ed the shit out of every tap. We're not a minimalist home but it all looks clean, tidy and welcoming (imo) and there's no clutter on worktops etc.

Let's hope it does the trick!

Tips we've been given by estate agents/photographers in the past -
Whatever the time of year have a table and chairs in the garden so people can picture themselves eating out there.
Add a chiminea, fire pit or something to show how the space can be used.
Don't leave 'red flags' around - if you've got a draught excluding worm thing by your front door or an additional heater in a room bung it in the garage otherwise people will think it's cold.
Same with a fan - people might think it gets unbearably hot in summer.
Don't have towels in the bathroom or dressing gowns/coats/crap hanging on hooks on doors - it all looks too cluttered.
Remove anything that might date the photos - a calendar showing January will let buyers know the house is hanging around if it's still there in March.

Good luck with your sale.