Real Estate Photography and Videography Pre-Appointment Checklist

Preparing before a real estate photography shoot is essential to ensure the best possible outcome and showcase the property in its most appealing light.

As with most photography agencies, we capture the listing as is, and weather or seasonal conditions may affect the shoot. To ensure we deliver the highest quality possible, we ask that the property be fully prepared and free of distractions before our arrival.

Below is our comprehensive guide to preparing your space for photography:

1. Cleaning up: Remove clutter, boxes, and stage the property the best you can. Move around furniture if needed and clear off the counters. Our team is not allowed to help move things as it can make us liable for damage or personal injury.

   
   

2. Staging: You can opt to try Virtual Staging (just $5/ea), hire a professional staging company, or stage your home yourself by doing things like setting up your dining area with dishes, bowls, glasses, and utensils.

   
   

3. Turn On Lights and Replace Bulbs: Turn on every light inside and outside, including bedside lamps, accent lights, and garage lights. Replace all burned-out bulbs.

   
   

4. Open Blinds: Pull open all blinds and curtains. If a window is damaged or is not presentable, leave the blinds down and twist them open to let some light in. Replace broken or unsecured blinds. Our team is not liable for unsecured or damaged blinds.

   
   

5. Remove Screens (if possible): Removing the screens can make our editing more crisp and vibrant but it's not always possible which is perfectly fine. We rarely see the screens removed beforehand.

   
   

6. Ceiling Fans and TV's: Turn off ceiling fans but leave remotes out and accessible in case the photographer needs to turn them on for videos. You can leave your TV on or off it doesn't make any difference. We photoshop over reflective screens during post editing.

   
   

7. Move Vehicles: Park vehicles, trailers, and campers far away to not appear in drone photos (1 block or 100 ft). The drone shows everything on your street. If you cannot move vehicles, hiding them in the garage is the second best option. You may ask neighbors to move cars the day before if you think their cars will be in the way.

   
   

8. Clean Outdoor Spaces: Clean up outdoor spaces, remove patio furniture covers, ready outdoor firepits, and mow the lawn. Hide trash cans if possible.

   
   

9. Unlock Doors: Unlock doors to all the areas of the home. Although some areas may not be presentable, and do not need to be photographed, they should be accessed by your photographer to include them in the total square footage of your floor plan.

   
   

10. Glass Cleaning: Clean windows and shower doors.

    
    

11. General Cleaning: Sweep, vacuum, and mop as needed

    
    

12. Pictures: Straighten picture frames and arrange decor. You may opt to stash away family photos or we can do our best to blur or remove them in post editing.

Vacate the House

It's best to plan to leave your home and give our photographers a non-occupied space to work with. Even when the homeowner (or agent) is hiding in a room or shuffling from room to room to stay out of the way, it is very distracting.

Moreover, friendly conversations and questions are great, but while we're working (usually with a packed schedule) conversation ultimately make the photography take longer adding stress on our artists who have 2-4 other jobs that day across the metro area.

Please vacant the property completely and let our experts fully immerse themselves in the new environment.

Vacate Pets

Pets that are home, even if kept outside, often get in the way of photos and are especially difficult to manage with scary drone noises and all-seeing 3D virtual tour equipment. Taking the pets with you, or asking a friend to watch them for the day is highly recommended.

Preparing for Twilight Photography

When it comes to twilight photography, each location presents unique challenges. Mountain homes often experience earlier sunsets. Buildings that face east and buildings surrounded by trees require special consideration regarding lighting.

Understanding the best time to book for twilight photography can be confusing. To ensure you have booked enough time for all the services you need, including twilight photos, please call us if you have booked online to confirm timing.

Conclusion

Following these steps will help us ensure everything is completed effectively and that your photos will be as beautiful as they should be. If you are unsure or have any questions about our checklist please email us at info@jeevesdrones.com.