The 30-minute prep list before the camera comes out
Short answer
Turn on every light including closets, open every blind fully, switch off ceiling fans, and remove every bin. Clear kitchen counters completely, put all bathroom products away with lids down, make beds square, hide cords and pet items, and move cars off the driveway. Budget 30 minutes and send the list to the seller a day ahead.
The gap between a mediocre listing set and a good one is usually not equipment. It is the thirty minutes before the first photo. This is the list — hand it to the seller a day ahead so it is done before you arrive.
Whole house, first
- Every light on, including closets, hallways, and the range hood
- Every blind and curtain fully open
- All ceiling fans off
- Every bin out of every room
- Pet bowls, beds, litter trays, and toys out of sight
- Personal photos and anything with a name on it put away
- Cords tucked, chargers unplugged
Kitchen
Counters completely clear except one deliberate object. Nothing on the fridge. Sink empty and dry. Bar stools pushed in. Floor mats up. Wipe every stainless surface last, right before shooting.
Bathrooms
All products away, toilet lids down, fresh towels squared, mirrors and glass wiped, mats straight or gone. This is five minutes per bathroom and it is the highest-return five minutes in the whole list.
Bedrooms
Beds made properly with the covers pulled square, nightstands clear except a lamp, nothing on the floor, closet doors closed. If a room is doubling as an office or a gym, decide which one it is and remove the other.
Living spaces
Remotes, magazines, and mail out of frame. Cushions straightened. Rugs flat. Pull furniture a few inches off the walls if it is crowding a walkway — it makes the room read wider, not narrower.
Outside
Cars off the driveway and out of the street view. Bins and hoses hidden. Lawn mowed and edged. Porch swept. Toys and tools away. Garage door closed.
The last pass
Walk the house once with the camera up, room by room, without taking a photo. You will spot four things you missed. Then shoot.
Common questions
How far in advance should I send the prep list to a seller?
About 48 hours. Sellers who get the list ahead of time almost always do the work. Sellers who hear it for the first time at the door get defensive, and you end up shooting around things.
What is the single highest-impact prep step?
Clearing every horizontal surface — kitchen counters, bathroom vanities, nightstands, side tables. It is the biggest visible difference in the whole set and it costs nothing but time.
Should family photos be removed before shooting?
Yes. Buyers need to picture themselves in the home, and personal photos and anything with a name on it interrupt that. It also protects the seller's privacy once the gallery is public.
Something always gets missed. Circle it and PropWalk removes it from the photo cleanly — no reshoot, no second trip. Your first photo is free.
Clear what got missed →