How to Prep Your Home for Listing Photos: A Room-by-Room Checklist
We show up to a lot of homes on shoot day. The ones that photograph best are rarely the biggest or the newest. They are the ones where someone spent an evening getting ready. Good prep makes our job faster and your listing stronger, and almost none of it costs money.
Here is the checklist we send to agents and sellers before every shoot. Work through it the day before, and do a final walk-through the morning of.
The Whole House First
A few things apply to every room, so start here.
Turn on every light. Lamps, overheads, under-cabinet lights, range hood lights. Replace any dead bulbs, and try to match bulb color so one room is not warm yellow and the next is blue-white.
Open blinds and curtains to the same level in every room. We will adjust as needed, but a consistent starting point saves time.
Turn off ceiling fans and TVs. Spinning fans blur, and a black TV screen looks cleaner than a paused show.
Hide the small stuff. Remotes, chargers, mail, keys, pet bowls, trash cans, and laundry baskets. A good rule: if it would not come with the house, and it is smaller than a shoebox, put it away.
Clean windows and mirrors. Smudges you never notice show up clearly in a wide-angle shot.
Kitchen
The kitchen is usually one of the first photos buyers see, so it deserves extra attention.
Clear the counters almost completely. Leave one or two nice items at most, like a bowl of fruit or a cutting board.
Remove magnets, photos, and papers from the refrigerator, front and sides.
Put away dish soap, sponges, towels hanging on the oven, and the dish rack.
Make sure the sink is empty and dry.
Tuck in bar stools evenly.
Living and Family Rooms
Fluff and straighten pillows and fold any throws neatly, or remove them.
Clear the coffee table except for a book or a small tray.
Hide game controllers, cords, and kids' toys.
Pull furniture slightly away from walls if a room feels crowded. Sometimes removing one chair opens a room up more than anything else.
Bedrooms
Make the beds with smooth, light-colored bedding if you have it. Wrinkles show.
Clear nightstands down to a lamp and maybe one book.
Nothing under the bed that peeks out, and nothing on the floor.
Close closet doors unless the closet is a selling point and it is organized.
Bathrooms
Remove everything from counters and the shower: toothbrushes, razors, shampoo bottles, and bath mats.
Close the toilet lid. Every time.
Hang one set of clean, matching towels, or none.
Hide the toilet brush and plunger.
Home Office and Bonus Rooms
Clear desks of paperwork. Anything with personal or financial information should be out of sight.
Tidy cords behind the desk.
Let the room show a clear purpose, whether that is office, playroom, or guest room. Buyers like to understand a space at a glance.
Exterior, Yard, and Pool
Exterior shots, and especially twilight shots, show everything outside the house.
Move cars out of the driveway and off the street in front of the house if you can.
Put trash and recycling bins in the garage or out of view.
Mow, edge, and blow off walkways a day or two before.
Put away hoses, tools, and kids' outdoor toys.
For pools, run the pool cleaner ahead of time, then remove it from the water along with any floats. Turn on pool and landscape lights if you have them, especially for twilight.
Straighten patio furniture and remove cushion covers that are faded.
Pets and People
We love dogs, but we try not to photograph them. Plan for pets to be out of the house or crated in the garage during the shoot. Hide litter boxes, beds, and food bowls. For sellers, it is usually easiest for everyone if you step out for the hour or so we are there, so we can move through rooms quickly.
What We Handle on Shoot Day
You do not have to get everything perfect. We adjust lighting, straighten what we can, and choose angles that show the space at its best. In editing we can correct color and clean up small distractions. But editing works best on a well-prepared home. The more you do ahead of time, the more natural and honest the final photos look.
Prep also matters because we capture photos, video, and the 3D tour in a single visit. If a room is not ready and we have to come back, there is a reshoot fee. Getting it right the first time saves you that cost and keeps your launch date on track.
Fast Turnaround, No Rush Fee
Most of our standard photography packages are delivered within 24 hours, with no rush fee. Busy periods and unusual properties that need manual Photoshop work or flash composites can take longer, video takes longer, and floor plans and 3D tours follow CubiCasa's delivery schedule. In this industry, fast delivery is usually a paid upgrade. We would rather you have your photos in time to list without paying extra for it.
Consider Twilight
If you want the listing to stand out online, ask about adding twilight. A home glowing at dusk is the strongest lead image we know how to make, and the prep is mostly turning on every light.
Ready to Book?
If you have a listing coming up anywhere in Dallas–Fort Worth, we would be glad to help. Send us the address and the date you are hoping for on our Contact / Schedule page. We will send this checklist with your confirmation so you have it handy.