Preparing Your Property | Essential Tips for a Successful Property Photoshoot

So, you’ve scheduled a property photographer, and now you’re wondering how to prepare your property for the appointment. Fear not, as we’ve compiled a list of essential steps to ensure a successful photoshoot, making your photographer’s job a breeze and enhancing the outcome of your photographs.

Bedroom.

• Ensure your bedsheets are clean and free of stains.
• Keep bedding simple with neutral colours to enhance visual appeal.
• Remove clutter from bedside tables for a clean, minimalist look.

Ensure your bedsheets are clean and stain-free. Remove that box of tissue from the bedside. Plain bedding looks great in photographs. Stay away from busy patterns, florals or bright colours. Neutral colours work best – extra points for complimenting-coloured cushions and pillows. Keep it simple if in doubt.

Kitchen countertops.

• Clear countertops of all items to create a spacious and tidy appearance.
• Conceal appliances like kettles and toasters in cupboards for a streamlined look.

This is often the place where people justify leaving things. Your kitchen will look bigger, tidier if you put everything inside the cupboard and out of sight. Yes, even the kettle and toaster! And definitely that washing liquid and sponge needs to go!

Bathrooms.

• Hide movable items such as toothbrushes and sponges to maintain a clutter-free space.
• Arrange clean, white towels neatly to add a touch of luxury.

Just like the kitchen, hide everything that’s moveable. Toothpaste, toothbrush, sponge, towels, hide all of them… maybe the last thing, towels, you can fold em beautifully and lay them or hang them on the bathtub – only if you have clean white luxurious towels. We are not kidding.

De-cluttering

• Remove unnecessary objects from sight to create an illusion of space and avoid distractions in photos.
• Utilise storage areas like cupboards and unused rooms to store items temporarily.

You may be a master at strategically organising everything that is visible; but in photos any object in the frame attracts focus – also, the space looks a lot smaller when there are objects in the shot. The best thing to do here is to put it all away. If there is a cupboard that can be closed, put anything that doesn’t need to be in shot in there- if there is an unused room, put any unnecessary items in there. Sometimes you can put things in the corridor to allow the rooms to be photographed. But ensure that there’s easy access for the photographer to move from room to room. Put the items back as the photographer moves from a finished room to the next so that they can shoot the corridor when ready.

Doors.

• Ensure all doors can be fully opened to allow ample light and create a sense of openness.

Ensure that all doors can be fully opened. The reason for this is that it allows ample light into the interior of the property; plus, it makes the property look bigger and captures the fluidity of movement throughout the house.

Blinds.

• Open blinds to let in natural light and avoid creating a suspicious atmosphere in photographs.

They are called blinds for a reason. They stop you from seeing. So open them! It’s very suspicious when you look at property photographs and windows are shut and curtains are drawn. It makes one wonder “ What are they hiding?” Or if you’re like me, you’ll dismiss the property to be a basement apartment/flat. The following assumptions will be made: The property overlooks

a. Parking lot,
b.council flats,
c. an office block with direct overlooking windows.

Neither of the above is a good thing.

TV.

• Turn off TVs or hide them from view, while bookshelves can add an element of sophistication to the space.

Turn them off! That’s if you can’t hide em. Those things aren’t pretty. Bookshelves, however, are great and they make you look educated.

Animals.

• Keep pets away from areas being photographed to prevent disruptions during the shoot.

They are adorable, but they can also be a nuisance for the photographer who has other appointments during the day. So do keep an eye on them. Also, keep them away from areas being photographs.

Cars.

• Clear the driveway of cars and remove bins from sight to maintain a clean exterior view.

Ensure that the driveway is clear of litter or debris caused by wind. Remove any cars parked in front of the property. This will ensure that the view of the property isn’t obstructed. This will also ensure that the photographer doesn’t have to airbrush out number plates from the photos which can be awfully distracting

Remove Bins. Ensure that they won’t be in the shot on the day of your photography appointment.

Garden.

• Tidy up the garden to enhance outdoor spaces.
• Schedule the photoshoot after any skips have been removed to avoid unsightly debris.

Naturally, after renovating your property, you may decide to book a property photographer. Sometimes, there will be skips that are due to be collected but haven’t yet. Our advice here is to wait until the skip has been collected before booking a photographer or book the photographer for the date when the skip would have been removed.

Personal Touches.

• Feel free to add fresh flowers or decorative elements to enhance the overall aesthetic of the property.

Finally, feel free to move things around the property that will make the property look nice. It doesn’t have to be conveniently placed or how it is going to be used. Your property photography appointment is only for an hour or so and you can move the things back. Be creative. Feel free to buy fresh flowers or a bowl of fruit.