You’re preparing for photography and home showings. Don’t worry! We’ve got you covered! The process to prepare for professional listing photography and the process to prepare for home showings is almost identical with just a few minor differences. Read on for best practices.
When preparing for photography, please do the following before the photographer arrives:
- Clean home completely.
- Vacuum lines into pile carpeting.
- Clean and dry kitchen sink.
- Clear counters of everything except minor decorative items in kitchen and bathrooms.
- Simplify kitchen and table decor.
- Wipe stainless steel appliances clear of fingerprints.
- Turn on ALL interior lights including closets, bathrooms and under cabinet lighting.
- Turn OFF all ceiling fans.
- Open ALL windows coverings fully.
- Turn OFF all televisions and computer screens.
- Hide any visible wires (if possible).
- Make all beds.
- Fluff and neatly arrange pillows on couches, chairs and beds.
- Remove ALL items from showers with glass doors (soap, shampoos, razors, etc).
- Put away all non-decorative towels and robes.
- Empty all garbage cans.
- Garbage cans, cleaning supplies, toilet brushes, plungers, etc, should be put away and out of sight.
- Put hampers out of sight unless they are decorative. No dirty clothes should be visible.
- Close all toilet lids.
- Minimize bathroom decor.
- Remove any signs that you have a pet including pet food bowls, beds and litter boxes. Pet toys should be picked up and neatly stored out of sight. No one should be able to tell that a pet lives in the home.
- Washer and dryer should be visibly clean on the outside and no dirty laundry should be visible in laundry room. Put away laundry soap if possible.
- Remove all cars from driveway and garage if possible.
- Turn on pool and water features, if applicable.
Add THESE for Home Showings
As I mentioned in the first paragraph, the process to get your home ready for photography and public showings is very similar with a few minor differences. Read on below:
- Put all ceiling fans ON LOWEST SETTING (on for home showings, off for photography).
- Avoid spraying home perfume sprays.
- Avoid scented candles.
- Avoid plug-in air fresheners.
- If you feel your home smells stale, you can simmer a pot on the stove with cinnamon, a halved orange, vanilla and water while you are getting ready for showings. It gives off a cinnamon bun smell. You can also use a crock pot and let it simmer all day long (unplug when you aren’t home). Who can be offended by cinnamon buns?
- Avoid cooking in the home once showings begin if possible. Now is a great time to grill outside or eat out. Strong smells, even from food, can easily turn off buyers.
- On your way out, ask Alexa to play spa music.
- Drop the air conditioning a few degrees cooler than you usually keep the home.
Pets
Make sure you have a plan in place for your pets during home showings on short notice. Pets should NOT remain in the home while the home is being shown to potential buyers. In fact, as previously mentioned, buyers shouldn’t even be able to tell that you have pets at all!
In short, pet beds and cages sometimes have odors. Pets can also cause a home shopper to assume they’ll likely need to replace the carpeting. People with pet allergies may also fear that they will never fully be able to remove the allergens from the home. We need your home to look its absolute best every time it’s shown.
Accommodate ALL showing requests
Any refusal to show your home is a lost opportunity to sell it. You want to do your best to accommodate any and all showing requests whether it be short notice or what you would consider to be an inconvenient time. This also means that your home needs to remain in showing condition at all times! I realize this is tough for those who work from home, have pets, and/or children but it part of the home selling process. Just remember, the better your home looks, the quicker it will sell and then you can go on living your life without the stress of public showings!