Family home or show home? - how to style for photos?

[TeddyBeans]

We've got an appointment on Thursday to have the photos taken to put our flat on the market and I'm having a last minute panic about how it should look. We have 2 kids, nearly 3 and nearly 8 - they have a lot of toys and tech.

Would you prefer to view a flat that looked lived in? Family photos on the walls, knick knacks on shelves, some toys that are too big for storage boxes out and about? Or completely empty of anything personal so you could imagine yourself in there with your own belongings?

One of the agents said that people like to see how you live in the space but everything I'm reading online suggests it should be like a show home. I'm just trying to gauge how much stuff we should be putting in storage now ready for the photographer to come and ultimately viewings to happen. Please help!

All of my neighbours are lovely and we get on very well with everyone! My son only plays for about 10 minutes a day (he's very new to drums and doesn't have the stamina for long sessions yet) and only before 5pm so majority of our neighbours would not be aware that he even plays.

Point taken though, I'll shift it

Good luck selling yours, hope it all goes smoothly ❤️

Thank you. You too!

We went to view a house last week that has been on the market since last April. This is surprising as it is a lovely house in a wonderful location. The current owners have 3 kids and are just about to have their 4th. OMG I have never seen so much clutter in my life, every cupboard was rammed full along with the cellar and mezzanine space. We could not even see the boiler with all the crap around it (not sure that is safe). There were skids down the toilet, dog shit all over the patio and muddy paw prints covering the patio doors.

Loved the house but by god I could not believe anyone would show their house like that. I have bought 11 houses so am a seasoned buyer but this one left me gobsmacked especially as they are pushing the price a lot. So my advice is declutter and show it like a show home nobody wants to see your crap.

A lot of people are easily distracted by other people's stuff, so I would move as much personal items as you can for the photos. It can look a bit more lived in for viewings, but to get people viewing you want it to look as lovely as you can.

When I glance round my living room now, I can see all sorts of crap that I would be hiding away if there was a photographer here. Headphones, notepaper pads, folders, tech like chargers and cables, glasses and their case, tissues box, the cat's brushes and toy (on the cat tree). ALL of those would be thrown into a cardboard box hastily labelled "LIV RM" and stashed away, and again if a viewing was arranged. I'd do the same for each room.

The photos will be potential buyers' first impression of your gaff, you want it to look at its best. Otherwise it's like the kids going in to school on photo day with tomato soup on their polo shirts - homely, but not the look you were going for...

I don’t care what a house looks like, I don’t need to staged like a show home, but if I see a lot of crap lying about or stacked up in a corner, that’s a sign of poor storage and it will put me off.

Also, insist the photos are in proper perspective. The current trend of using wide angled lense and stretching photos does my nut in. It is really obvious that your kitchen isn’t that big when the door looks like it’s 2m wide.

@BoredZelda oh nice thinking about the perspective. We have large rooms anyway so hopefully they won't feel the need to exaggerate anything but I will definitely ask the question!

We moved the photos to Monday as I'm home (half term) rather than lumping the responsibility on my poor mum who does our childcare term time.

Gonna do a big tidy this weekend if anyone would be interested in critiquing pictures?? As long as MN lets me upload them of course 🤞 we'll be up against 3 other flats in the compound so need it to be as close to perfect as possible

I wouldn't mind the drum kit. What puts me off is signs that there isn't enough storage space. Eg overflowing bathroom shelves and stuff piled on cupboards and under beds.

@TeddyBeansI used to put baby clutter in the loft for viewings. Kitchen clutter in the oven, fill the dishwasher, washing machine, shed, car, I would shove it all in!
I remember being fuming over a last minute cancellation!

Upload away OP

My to do list in the bathroom is

Sort towels out properly on towel rail
Hide toothbrushes on the day
Clean bin
Remove kid paraphernalia
Wash shower curtain

Anything else I should do?

Image is under review, hopefully it appears soon!

Kids room to do

Wash bedding on lower bunk and make both beds
Put all the kids clothes away
Put away all the bags
Take down everything on top of the wardrobes
Remove foam square from bed ladder

Think that's it? Anything else anyone thinks I should do??

PS - the drum kit was where the toy unit is 😁 it fits very nicely under our bed!

Will probably take the pram and car garage out of the kids room for the photos too

Sorry I find the bluegrey tone a little cold in a bathroom so would want a bright color to pop
Do you have any yellow duck or nice green fog toys?

Towels one white small hand towel only but remove for the photos as it jumps out as its at the door

Window 2 trailing plants gone or wound up to sit on top of the pot
Window tooth brush gone
Window a yellow/green pot to go with the duck/frog.

Floor Remove kid paraphernalia
Floor Bin gone or hidden under the sink on the non-door side.

Bath Step and antislip mat gone.
Bath Floor mat gone
Bath Shower curtain posh pleat and try tuck it straight and shrink to minimum size for show days dont bother rehang for photos

Wall The wire shelves get emptied replaced on the bottom the hotel roll face cloth and a posh soap (or another duck/frog) and the top a body wash/shampoo.

Wall Dressing gown gone

What are the 2 shadows beside the sink? Do you need to add a light to remove them?

The 2 items on the shelves are reflected in the mirror i would put a pop of colour in 1 or both as it moves the center of viewpoint "notice" up from the floor.

Balcony (dining room) and kitchen as they are right now

Mini fridge is being removed tomorrow
DP will tackle the kitchen tomorrow
Will remove apron and dress the table on Monday
Magnets to be removed from fridge in kitchen
Items on top of cupboards to be removed too

Bunks I would swap the 3 drawerunit with the bed so the enty corner is the play area and the highish bed is not as bulky as you enter. The bed is short so gives the impression of a longer room too
Bunks bedding and hotel posh and fluffy for the photos
Bunks add the pink pig to top bunk

3DU leave books swap castle for car tower to match "boy" dino curtains and remove what remains on the floor.
The change also showcases the colour swap on the wall as a design choice

Wardrobes If you leave the plants add the bathroom ones to tone into the curtains

Desk no changes

For the photos spend sometime hoovering the carpet to "lie down"
( there are some colour change which look like stains but are likely just jumbled fibres?)

Again lighting the room to remove shadows / darker areas.

Over all both rooms looks fine its just selling the photos online

@OpheliaNightingale will definitely be hiding stuff for viewings! I can imagine how frustrating a cancellation must be - hopefully I won't have to find out first hand though 🤞

Balcony (dining room)

Mini fridge is being removed tomorrow
Hide the heater/dehumidifer
Whats the glass screen there for?
Shelf is fine
Put the fridge magneta in the metal board
Remove dog and center vase in nook
Can you get higher puffy cushions for the bench ? The space has a lot of
horizontal lines and rectangle shapes.
If you are dressing the table with plates etc move the table to the center of the space and check which looks better.
Again lighting to remove shadows

the kitchen
Magnets to be removed from fridge in kitchen
Items on top of cupboards to be removed too
Clear the full counter over w-machine to sink
Toaster goes if you have room if not move to beside microwave and kettle
Remove the bin for the photos.
Remove teatowel leave oven mit
Has the hoover got a home in a cubbie?

Our room

Changing the bedding to match the curtains tomorrow evening
Removing everything from back of door
Empty bin
Remove cables and things on floor

Photos are tomorrow and I'm really nervous 🤣 we've never sold before so all new territory. Will post the listing if anyone is interested

Good luck @TeddyBeans .
We have ours tomorrow too. From the photos I've seen of yours it looks really nice. I've spent all day cleaning and am settling down for a beer. Will be putting all my washing in the car tomorrow in IKEA bags. I'll struggle to keep the 2 year old from making mess until 11am.

Uncluttered but no need to remove photos, signs of kids. Do be aware that many people looking at flats won’t be looking for a family home do it needs to appeal to that demographic

@Twirlywirly25 ours went well, the agent and the photographer were both impressed! I feel you on keeping the 2yo from making a mess 🤣 I gave my two until 10.40 and then they had to put EVERYTHING away