Tour Preparation

The more work you put in to getting your listing ready to be photographed, the better the pictures will look in the end. And the more likely you’ll be to move your listing quickly. Here are some tips to make sure your property is ready when the photographer arrives. Remember, at the end of the day, it is your choice to style your listing however you see fit but ensuring general cleanliness is an important step in making your property truly shine.

Preparing for your Virtual Tour

Most importantly your home must be ready to be photographed at the time of your appointment. When the photographer arrives they will conduct a quick walk-through of the home, suggesting any last second changes that can be made to improve the quality of your Virtual Tour. However shooting will begin shortly thereafter. Meaning any & all cleaning and staging must be done prior to your appointment time.

Every home has small issues. Don’t be concerned about the aspects of your home that can’t be changed. Focus instead on the overall de-cluttering of each space. Place clutter in closets, the garage or storage areas. Your photographs are designed to show the spaciousness of your home and as such are shot with wide angle lenses that make it impossible to hide objects in plain sight in any room. Objects that aren’t hidden in one of the afore mentioned areas will end up in your photos.

Take the extra time to find places for all of your unsightly items. This means brooms, vacuums, car keys, garbage bins, laundry bins, dirty dishes etc. should be put away before your appointment time to ensure they don’t end up in your photos.

Remember: What is important to you is not the same as what is important to your photos. Vacuuming, sweeping, dusting and scrubbing are important for your open house but for your Virtual Tour appointment what matters is de-cluttering your home!

Interior

  • – Make sure that all lights are working . Even during the day, they will be switched on for the session.

  • – Clear kitchen counter-tops. Leave a maximum of 1-2 appliances per counter-top area.

  • – Empty bathrooms of toiletries. Place Toilet lids down.

  • – Fix or replace blinds and curtains if necessary. It is impossible to exclude these items from the pictures.

  • – Position the furniture where it is best suited.

  • – Set dining table with your best dinner setting and candles if you like that look.

  • – Remove all Post-Its, magnets, kid’s drawings, personal photos from fridge and walls.

Exterior

  • – Clean landscape. Mow lawns and clear driveway.

  • – Remove vehicles or be ready to move them during appointment.

  • – Close garage door.

  • – Tidy up tools, toys, and coil outside water hoses.

  • – Tidy up deck, BBQ area. Organize outdoor furniture.

  • – Place junk in organized piles.