Address
22762 Westheimer Pkwy #420
Katy, Texas 77450
Work Hours
Monday to Friday: 9AM - 5PM
Weekend: 10AM - 5PM
Making the magic happen
Doing the prep work to list your home is an exciting and crucial step in the selling process. First impressions absolutely matter, and high-quality listing photos will make all the difference in attracting potential buyers. No doubt your agent has already spoken with you about decluttering, deep cleaning and strategic staging and why it’s important. If they haven’t, we should talk. But over an above all of that, did you know that there’s a whole checklist specifically to cover how to make your home photo ready?
We’ve been in this business for over 20 years now, and through the years, we’ve seen it all. Every conceivable thing that a person can do to a home, and every possible way for an agent to either make it shine or completely drop the ball. Picture listing photos, exterior only, taken from inside a vehicle in which the car’s side mirrors are visible; or portrait mode photos with horrible lighting, or even worse, no photos at all.
How this list came to be
We’ve built this list with input from professional photographers, experienced real estate agents, and extremely talented stagers so that you, when preparing your home for listing photographs, can tackle the little things that make all the difference in the finished product.
Download a printable copy of our photo makeready checklist here.
Photo Makeready Checklist
- Make sure the property is clean and cleared of all paper and trash.
- Make sure all light bulbs are of the same type and temperature.
- Remove any papers and magnets from refrigerator and everything from the countertops.
- Bathrooms and showers should be clean and clear of all toiletries and toilet seats down.
- Remove all shampoo items from bath areas and ALL items from counters.
- Remove all paper products from tables and counter tops.
- Turn on all lights and lamps and replace any that may be burned out.
- Turn off all TVs and computer monitors.
- Blinds and shutters should be open at a 45 degree angle pointing up.
- If windows have sheers, open them.
- Make sure all furniture is clean and clear of clutter.
- Turn off all ceiling fans.
- Remove all trash cans completely.
- No paper items should be visible anywhere.
- Nothing should be visible from under the bed or furniture.
- Remove any medical or exercise equipment.
- Store all toys.
- Remove all pets during your photography session.
- Remove all pet bedding and bowls.
- Make sure the yard and all landscaping is manicured and neat.
- Trim trees if possible and blow away all leaves
- Remove any vehicles from view prior to appointment time.
- No trash cans or water hoses should be visible in either the front or back yard.
- If there is a pool, make sure it is clean and the water clear.
- Remove any pool cleaner and all pool equipment.
- If there is lawn equipment, make sure it is clean and staged properly.
- For privacy’s sake, change out any photos that you wouldn’t want to be visible online.
- Remove any seasonal items to prevent dating the photos.
Remember, if it is visible it will be photographed. Please do not expect to move or rearrange items for each room during the shooting process. Have the entire home ready to shoot prior to your appointment. Most professional photographers will shoot in a specific order. Typically, they’ll shoot the front exterior first, then the entry, then all living, dining and study areas. Followed by the master bedroom and any additional media or game rooms followed by the secondary bedrooms and baths. The back yard is shot last.
All of these tips are designed to help you understand how to make your home photo ready.