How to Prepare Your Home for a Real Estate Photo Shoot
A Quick & Easy Checklist to Help Your Listing Shine
If you're getting ready to sell your home, great photos are one of the most important tools for catching a buyer’s eye. But even the best photographer can only work with what’s in front of the camera. That’s why a little prep goes a long way.
To help you get the most out of your shoot with Shine Real Estate Media, we’ve put together a simple guide that ensures your home looks clean, bright, and inviting.
Example of a clutter free yard
✨ General Tips for Every Room
✅ Turn all lights on (including lamps & overhead lights)
✅ Replace any burnt-out bulbs
✅ Open blinds and curtains to let in natural light
✅ Hide personal items (toothbrushes, remotes, pet toys, laundry)
✅ Declutter surfaces — less is more!
🛋 Living Room
✅ Fluff pillows & fold throw blankets neatly
✅ Clear clutter (toys, magazines, extra decor)
✅ Tuck away cords and wires
✅ Remove pet beds and bowls
🍽 Kitchen & Dining
✅ Clear countertops (keep it simple!)
✅ Hide dish soap, sponges, drying racks
✅ Remove fridge magnets & personal notes
✅ Wipe down stainless steel & surfaces
✅ Set the dining table or leave it clean and bare
Simple staging touches add interesting features and help demonstrate the size of the room
🛏 Bedrooms
✅ Make the beds with smooth, neat bedding
✅ Clear nightstands of personal items
✅ Store shoes, clothes, and laundry baskets
✅ Remove clutter from under beds if visible
🚽 Bathrooms
✅ Close toilet lids
✅ Remove toothbrushes, razors, and toiletries
✅ Hang clean, neatly folded towels
✅ Hide bath mats (they can clutter the space in photos)
Toiletry free showers are much more inviting for a photograph viewer, plants can provide some color and are a nice touch
🌳 Exterior
✅ Move cars out of the driveway
✅ Mow the lawn, trim bushes, and sweep walkways
✅ Hide trash cans and garden hoses
✅ Stage the porch with minimal decor — cushions, a plant, etc.
Delicate touches such as plants can make the pictures really pop and provide color
Bonus Tips
🎥 If you’ve booked a video tour or 360 virtual tour, keep movement to a minimum while we’re filming.
🐾 Please secure pets during the shoot for their safety and ours.
A Picture-Perfect Home Starts Here
Prepping your home helps us capture its full potential — and helps buyers fall in love at first click. Have questions or need help staging? Shine Real Estate Media is just a message away.
📸 Let’s make your home shine!
