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Clean
Wipe down visible surfaces, clean floors, polish mirrors, and make sure kitchens and bathrooms are ready to be photographed.
Home Preparation Guide
Prepare Your Home for Picture Day
A clean, organized, and photo-ready home helps create stronger marketing images and a better first impression for potential buyers. Use this guide to prepare each area before your scheduled appointment.
A Better First Impression
A little preparation makes a big difference
You do not need to completely redesign your home before the appointment. Focus on cleaning visible surfaces, reducing clutter, opening the space, and removing personal items that may distract from the property.
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Declutter
Remove unnecessary items from countertops, tables, furniture, and floors so each room feels larger and more inviting.
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Brighten
Open curtains and blinds, replace burned-out bulbs, and turn on interior and exterior lights before the appointment begins.
Prepare before the appointment
Completing the cleaning and staging early allows us to focus on
creating the best possible media for the property.
Before We Arrive
Complete these important items first
These are the biggest preparation priorities and should be completed before the scheduled appointment time.
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Complete cleaning and staging before the appointment.
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Turn on all interior and exterior lights.
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Replace burned-out or mismatched light bulbs.
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Open curtains, blinds, and shutters.
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Turn off televisions, monitors, and ceiling fans.
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Remove vehicles from the driveway when possible.
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Hide trash cans, hoses, tools, and cleaning supplies.
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Secure pets away from all photography areas.
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Make sure every included area is unlocked and accessible.
Helpful Tip
Our goal is to spend your appointment creating beautiful marketing images—not waiting while rooms are being cleaned or items are being moved. Finishing the preparation early helps the appointment run smoothly and efficiently.
Room-by-Room Guide
Prepare every part of the property
Select each area below to view its preparation checklist. You can also download the printable version to check off each item as you work.
- Mow and edge the lawn.
- Remove leaves and visible yard debris.
- Trim noticeably overgrown landscaping.
- Sweep driveways, sidewalks, porches, and patios.
- Hide trash cans, garden hoses, tools, and toys.
- Remove vehicles from the driveway when possible.
- Clean the front door and entry area.
- Arrange outdoor furniture neatly.
- Remove pool cleaning equipment when possible.
- Clean the pool and surrounding deck area.
- Clear countertops as much as possible.
- Put away dishes, food, and small appliances.
- Remove dish racks, sponges, soaps, and cleaning products.
- Remove magnets, photographs, and papers from the refrigerator.
- Clean sinks, countertops, cabinets, and appliances.
- Hide trash cans and recycling containers.
- Arrange stools and dining chairs evenly.
- Remove excessive decorations.
- Use one simple decorative item when appropriate.
- Remove unnecessary items from tables and furniture.
- Arrange pillows and blankets neatly.
- Hide remote controls, charging cables, and visible cords.
- Turn off televisions and computer monitors.
- Reduce excessive personal photographs.
- Open curtains and blinds.
- Straighten rugs and arrange furniture evenly.
- Remove pet beds, toys, bowls, and crates.
- Make every bed neatly.
- Use clean and wrinkle-free bedding when possible.
- Clear nightstands and dresser tops.
- Remove laundry, shoes, and personal items.
- Hide charging cables and visible cords.
- Organize visible closets.
- Remove visible items from underneath beds.
- Open blinds and turn on lamps.
- Clear bathroom countertops.
- Remove toothbrushes, medications, and personal toiletries.
- Close toilet lids.
- Remove bath mats and trash cans.
- Hang clean and neatly folded towels.
- Clean mirrors, sinks, showers, tubs, and fixtures.
- Remove shampoo bottles and items from showers.
- Replace empty toilet paper rolls.
- Clear desks and work surfaces.
- Hide paperwork and personal information.
- Organize cords, chargers, and electronics.
- Straighten chairs and furniture.
- Remove excessive decorations and storage items.
- Prepare gyms, game rooms, workshops, and bonus rooms.
- Clear walkways and visible floor space.
- Make the room's purpose easy to understand.
Additional Media Services
Some services require extra preparation
Drone photography, video tours, floor plans, Zillow 3D Home, and interactive 360 tours may capture more of the property than standard photography.
Drone Photography
Remove vehicles, trash cans, hoses, pool equipment, and outdoor clutter. Drone service depends on weather, airspace, and safe operating conditions.
Video Tours
Clear walkways, secure pets, turn off televisions and ceiling fans, and remove anything you do not want visible in the final video.
Zillow 3D and Interactive 360 Tours
Remove valuables, medications, documents, private photographs, and personal information from every room included in the tour.
Floor Plans
Unlock all included rooms and structures, clear pathways, and make sure every area being measured is safely accessible.
Important for 3D and 360 tours
These tours may show nearly every visible part of a room. Items cannot simply be moved from one side of the room to another while the tour is being captured.
Printable Resource
Download the Home Preparation Checklist
Print the checklist, save it to your phone, or share it with a homeowner before the scheduled appointment. It includes the most important preparation items in one convenient guide.
Open Printable Checklist ↓PDF
Home Preparation Checklist
A printable guide for homeowners and Real Estate Professionals.
View PDF
Professional Real Estate Media
Ready to showcase the property?
Stanforth Creative provides professional photography, aerial media, video tours, floor plans, Zillow 3D Home tours, and interactive property experiences throughout Tampa Bay and the Nature Coast.