Real Estate Photography Preparation Checklist

Real estate photography preparation works best when the house is ready before the photographer arrives. Finish cleaning, decide what stays in each room, remove personal information and arrange access. The shoot can then focus on showing the property clearly rather than moving the same belongings from room to room.

This is a planning checklist, not a requirement to turn a lived-in home into a display house. Start with the spaces that explain how someone could live there: the main living area, kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms and outdoor areas. Ask the agent which features matter to this campaign before spending time styling small details.

Prepare the house for photography in stages

A few days beforehand, walk through the property with the intended shot list. Note rooms that are not ready, stored furniture blocking circulation and maintenance work still in progress. Give those tasks a clear owner. If cleaners, stylists or gardeners are involved, schedule their work to finish before the shoot, allowing time for a final check.

Choose a place for belongings that will not be photographed. A cupboard is only suitable if it does not need to appear in the campaign. A garage may be a selling feature, so confirm that before filling it with boxes. Avoid a plan that depends on carrying everything behind the photographer as each room is photographed.

Work through the main rooms

In the kitchen, clear most everyday items from benches and check cupboard fronts, the splashback and appliance surfaces. Put away washing-up supplies and bins if they are distracting. Leave a small, intentional arrangement rather than several unrelated objects competing for attention.

In bedrooms, make the beds, align visible bedside items and put laundry away. Bathrooms benefit from clean mirrors and screens, folded towels and cleared basins. Keep essential medication and personal products somewhere private. In living areas, straighten furniture and remove loose cables where it is safe to do so; do not disconnect essential equipment without an agreed plan.

Outside, move portable clutter, tidy furniture and check how parked cars affect the frontage. Ask household members to avoid returning a vehicle to the driveway midway through exterior photographs. Do not hide a property defect through staging or request misleading edits.

Make a personal-information pass

Look for mail, certificates, family photographs, calendars, school details and visible computer screens. Check reflections in mirrors and glass as well as objects directly facing the camera. The OAIC’s tenancy guidance specifically suggests removing belongings that could reveal personal information before advertising photographs.

If the property is tenanted, the agent or property manager should coordinate access and any applicable permissions. A photography booking is not a substitute for that arrangement. Identify areas that must not be photographed before the session starts.

Arrange the people and access

Confirm who will let the photographer in, which rooms are included and who can answer questions during the shoot. Arrange a comfortable place for pets away from equipment and open doors. Tell us about access limitations, stairs or works in progress so the session can be planned sensibly.

Keep alarm codes and key instructions out of a public enquiry message. Provide detailed access information through the agreed private channel once the booking is confirmed. Make sure someone has authority to approve a change if the weather or readiness of the property affects the plan.

Finish with a walk-through

Before arrival, turn off distracting screens, check that the included spaces are accessible and remove the last cleaning equipment. Keep the agreed brief nearby. If a room is unfinished, say so rather than assuming editing will solve it.

Send us the property type, suburb, media required and intended campaign date. We can discuss the preparation priorities and confirm what the proposed session needs before a date is agreed.

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