How Do You Prepare a House for Listing Photos? A Room-by-Room Checklist

Clear every counter, put personal items away, and move anything with wheels off the driveway. That is the short answer, and it covers most of what goes wrong. Below is the room-by-room version written to be forwarded to a seller as is — plus a bullet version at the end to paste straight into an email.

The ten-minute version

If the seller only reads one list, this is the one:

1. Clear all kitchen and bathroom counters
2. Make every bed
3. Close all toilet lids
4. Put shoes, laundry baskets and pet bowls out of sight
5. Take personal photos and documents off the walls, fridge and desks
6. Move all cars out of the driveway and off the curb in front of the house
7. Bring trash and recycling bins out of view
8. Coil the hose and put away yard tools and toys

Everything below is the same idea, room by room.

Kitchen

The kitchen is where clutter shows most, because every surface is at eye level.

• Counters clear. Small appliances into a cabinet — toaster, blender, coffee maker, knife block
• Nothing on the fridge. Magnets, calendars, school papers, photos
• Dish rack, sponges, soap bottles and towels put away
• Sink empty
• Bar stools straightened and pushed in
• Pet bowls and mats moved out of the room
• Countertop cords tucked or unplugged

Leave one or two things if the home is staged. Empty is better than busy.

Bathrooms

• Counters clear. Toothbrushes, razors, medication, hairdryers, makeup
• Toilet lids down, every time
• Fresh matching towels, folded and hung. Used towels out of the room
• Shampoo bottles and shower caddies out of the tub and shower
• Trash cans and scales moved out
• Bath mats straight or removed

Bedrooms

• Beds made, with the good bedding
• Nightstands cleared down to a lamp
• Floors clear — shoes, bags, laundry, charging cables
• Closet doors closed
• Personal photos put away
• Under the bed cleared if there is a skirt-free frame
• Cribs and toys tidied into one place, or removed

Living areas

• Remotes, magazines, mail and chargers into a drawer
• Throw pillows straightened, blankets folded or put away
• Cords behind furniture where possible
• Rugs straight
• Personal photos and diplomas off the walls and shelves
• Exercise equipment and drying racks moved out of the room

Exterior and driveway

The exterior matters more than sellers expect, because the aerial is part of every SunHaus package. The roofline, the driveway and the yard are in frame, and so is whatever is parked in them.

• All cars out of the driveway — and off the street directly in front of the house. Ask the neighbor if it comes to that
• Trash and recycling bins out of sight, in the garage or behind the fence
• Hose coiled or stored
• Toys, bikes, scooters and yard tools put away
• Lawn mowed and edges trimmed a day or two before
• Pool skimmed, pool toys and floats removed, cleaner hose pulled out
• Patio furniture straightened, cushions on, umbrella open
• Front porch cleared — packages, mats, shoes, door signs
• Trampolines and pet runs are worth moving if they can be moved

Garage

Half of Central Florida garages are storage rooms, and that is fine. Two rules:

• If the garage is being photographed, clear the floor and pull cars out
• If it is not, close the door and use it to hide the bins, the hose and the extra chairs

The items every house forgets

These show up over and over, and none of them take more than a minute:

• The car in the driveway
• The trash bin at the curb
• The hose on the ground
• Fridge magnets
• Toilet lids
• Pet bowls, litter boxes, crates
• Phone chargers on the nightstand
• The laundry basket that got moved into the next room

What is not on this checklist

Condition is not a prep item. A chipped baseboard, a hairline crack, a worn spot on the carpet — those stay as they are. The photos have to match the house a buyer walks into, and that is not negotiable in real estate photography.

The line is simple. If it can be picked up, moved or put in a drawer, it belongs on this list. If it is part of the house itself, it is a repair decision, and that is a conversation between the agent and the seller — not a prep task the morning of.

One more: this checklist describes the property. Nothing about who lives there belongs in the listing or in the photos.

Copy-paste version for the seller email

Before the photos — please have these done before the photographer arrives:

• Kitchen and bathroom counters completely clear
• Nothing on the refrigerator
• All beds made, nightstands cleared
• Toilet lids closed, fresh towels hung, personal items put away
• Floors clear of shoes, bags, laundry and toys
• Personal photos and documents put away
• Remotes, mail, magazines and chargers in a drawer
• Pet bowls, crates and litter boxes out of sight
• All cars out of the driveway and off the street in front of the house
• Trash and recycling bins out of view
• Hose coiled, yard tools and toys put away, lawn cut
• Pool skimmed, floats and cleaner removed
• Patio furniture straightened

Nobody needs to be home during the visit. If you or the pets can be out during the window, everything moves faster.

FAQ

When should the seller start preparing for listing photos?

Most of it is a night-before job — decluttering, laundry, putting personal items away. The morning of is a final pass: beds, counters, toilet lids, and moving the cars.

Does the house need to be staged for real estate photos?

No. Clean and clear beats decorated. An empty counter photographs better than a styled one, and a made bed with plain bedding beats a pile of throw pillows.

What about pets during the shoot?

Bowls, crates, beds and litter boxes get put away with everything else. During the visit, pets are best out of the house or contained in one room — a dog following the photographer resets every room that was already done.

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Checklist sent, access confirmed, the size of the house known. That is enough to book.

Get a quote — flat rate by property size, any travel fee inside the rate, aerial included.