​Preparing Your Home for Professional Photography

A checklist for making your listing look its best
To capture your home at its finest, we recommend completing the following steps before your scheduled shoot. These small touches help ensure your photos are bright, clean, and inviting.

Exterior

• Remove all vehicles from the driveway and street in front of the home
  
• Store garden hoses, tools, garbage bins, bikes, and outdoor toys
  
• Mow the lawn and tidy up garden beds, patios, or porches
  
• Sweep or blow off the driveway, front steps, walkways, porches, and patios
  

Interior

• Declutter countertops and visible surfaces throughout the home
  
• Make all beds and tidy each bedroom and living space
  
• Clear off kitchen and bathroom counters, keeping only minimal decor
  
• Straighten pillows, towels, lampshades, and framed art or photos
  
• Remove items from the refrigerator (magnets, calendars, etc.)
  
• Hide personal items, including family photos, mail, and toiletries
  
• Turn off all ceiling fans
  
• Open all blinds and curtains to allow in as much natural light as possible
  
• Ensure all light bulbs are working and are of the same color temperature
  (You do not need to turn the lights on—lighting will be adjusted during the shoot.)
  

​Thank you for taking the time to prepare—these steps make a real difference.
With the space photo-ready, we can focus on creating beautiful, effective images to showcase your home.

​What You Don’t Need to Worry About

Modern tools, seamless results.
While a well-prepared home makes a strong first impression, it doesn’t have to be perfect. As part of my editing process, I use generative AI tools to clean up visual distractions and refine your images—so you can focus on what’s most manageable.
Here’s what you don’t need to worry about on shoot day:

• Cars that can't be moved, boats, dumpsters, or moving containers (PODS)
  If something unavoidable is parked in the driveway or visible from the street, I can often remove it cleanly in post-production.
  
• Wall art or personal photographs
  Forgot to take down a family photo? Most framed items can be digitally removed with minimal effort.
  
• Cords, countertop clutter, or small loose items
  While it helps to declutter, minor distractions can usually be edited out as needed.
  
• Scuffs, patches that need to be painted, or light surface wear
  These typically don’t show in photos—or can be retouched subtly for a cleaner look.
  
• Oversized or immovable objects
  From mounted TVs to gym equipment or large furniture, I’ll work around them—and use editing tools if needed to minimize their impact.  We can often remove window mounted AC units as well.