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My Visual Listings Calgary

Making sure the home is photo-ready helps make the photo-session smooth and efficient for the best photography and marketing of the home. Realtors and homeowners should avoid cleaning or moving around items in the home while photographer is present. If need be, Realtors can arrive to the home early to ensure home preparedness with the homeowners.

Photographers may make minor adjustments to objects in a room to ensure the absolute best quality photography; however, photographers are not house keepers, nor are they home stagers.

Place all items/clutter not necessary for photoshoot inside the garage or extra closets.

GENERAL STAGING – TOP 20 THINGS TO DO:

Turn all overhead, fan lights and side lamps Lights ON
Replace burned out light bulbs, including oven hood lights, and use
bulbs of the same temperature
Turn Fan blade spin OFF, TVs OFF and computer screens OFF
Remove cars from driveway
Put away toys, clutter, stacks of paper to closets or inside the garage
Remove all refrigerator magnets
Remove small kitchen appliances, food or cooking ware on counters and hide Paper Towel Rolls
Hide ALL trash cans
Remove child safety fences from pool area
Remove floor mats and small rugs to reveal actual flooring
Open blinds/window treatments to let in outside light
Remove personal photographs (or replace with generallandscape/object photographs)
Make all beds
Place all shoes/jackets in closets
Hide toothbrushes, medications and personal hygiene products in bathrooms
Put away shampoo/soap from shower view
Remove Tissue boxes
Remove pedestal fans
Remove branded products from view (such as in kitchen, atop fridge)
Trim trees, bushes and landscape for best front and back views
Detailed Tips For Homeowners
Selling your home is like selling a product – it must be marketed correctly to reach a specific buyer. Although your furnishings and decor are great for your lifestyle, it’s important to optimize your home for the future buyer.
When the photographer arrives please try to have every available light on (including lamps). Turn all ceilings fans off.

Exterior Front

• Close garage doors
• Pressure wash exterior as needed
• Trim low hanging tree branches as may block front shots
• Remove cars from driveway and front of home
• Clean up landscaping (mow, trim shrubs, clear leaves)
• Remove empty planters
• Use broom to remove cobwebs from eaves and door frames
• Remove visible water hoses
• Remove toys, sports balls, basketball goals, soccer goals, etc.

Exterior Backyard and Pool

• Clean porch, tidy up outdoor tables/chairs/cushions
• Pillows/cushions should be fresh, not faded
• Clear out kid’s toys, balls, frisbees, etc.
• Clean pool
• Remove pool vacuum/cleaner hose and cleaning supplies
• Turn on pool fountains/water features
• Remove visible water hoses
• Remove trash cans
• Trim low hanging tree branches

Kitchen

• Clear countertops completely. No knife blocks, baking supplies, mail
• Leave out only one or two small appliances (ex. coffee maker)
• Clear outside of refrigerator of magnets, papers, photos, etc.
• Hide garbage cans in pantry or closet
• Remove dishes from sink, place in dishwasher
• Remove dish towels from appliance handles
• Remove floor mats on kitchen floor: If the color of a floor mat is in
stark contrast to the flooring, it draws the viewer’s eye to the mat instead of the features in the room. They also hide the natural beauty of certain types of flooring materials.
• Clean appliances – streak free

Dining Room Table

• Clear table of clutter
• Use decorative place settings if available
• Feature one center piece such as a bouquet of flowers or bowl
• Straighten all chairs and space them evenly
• Remove child seats/booster chairs

Living Room

• Remove stacks of magazines, papers, mail, etc.
• De-clutter fireplace mantel/hearth (no more than 5 items, including
art)
• Clean interior of fireplace
• Fluff and arrange furniture pillows, add bright pillows
• Remove kid’s toys

Master Bedroom

• Make bed, including decorative pillows/shams if available
• Press bed linens and bed skirts
• Clear nightstands of all personal items
• Store away phone/tablet charging cables
• Remove all clutter from top of dressers
• Remove family photos from walls
• Clean under bed, removing items that may show in the photos

Guest/Kid Bedroom

• Remove personalized names from walls
• Remove wall stickers/posters
• Remove diaper genies and kid’s toys
• Clean under bed, removing items that may show in the photos

Bathrooms

• Clear countertops completely. No soap, toothbrushes, medications, deodorant, makeup, jewelry etc.
• Put toilet seats down
• Close closet doors
• Remove/hide shampoo, soap, loofahs, etc. from showers and tubs
• Remove dirty towels – leave out only new, unused towels
• Remove floor mats and bath robes
• Hide Trash Bins, Tissue boxes

Pets

• Place food and water bowls in pantry or closet
• Place pet beds/toys in pantry or closet
• Use lint roller on furniture to remove pet hair
• Contain pets in hidden crate or outside
• Clear back yard of pet waste/toys