Preparing Your Property for the Photoshoot and Listing
Clutter makes a house feel smaller and hinders buyers from imagining their own belongings in the space. To avoid this, declutter by emptying cupboards, clearing surfaces, and maximising floor space to showcase the home’s potential.
When I say clutter, I'm not just talking about a couple of magazines on a coffee table. I'm talking about the visual overload that hits you the second you walk in!
For a buyer walking through your house, it's all about that clutter - and it says one thing. The house isn't big enough.
Once a buyer has that feeling in their head, it sticks and they stop picturing their own furniture and things in the space. Instead, they think it's not enough space or enough storage.
So what's the fix?
You've got to strip it down. Make sure those cupboards have room to breathe. You want to be half empty, clear off every surface that you can. Open up that floor space so they can actually see it.
And you're not just cleaning here. You're selling the idea that the home has plenty of room for their stuff and room for them to grow.
Personal Decor Niche or overly personalised decor can turn buyers off, as it makes it difficult for them to imagine themselves in the space. Keep decor simple and neutral to allow the home's best features to shine.
Let's talk about something that can instantly turn a buyer off. And even they can't explain why!
I've seen rooms that are covered with movie posters from floor to ceiling, walls that are painted super dark colours, leopard print wallpaper. I'm not here to judge anyone. You live how you want to live, but dark purple or black walls won't sell your house.
Buyers will try to imagine their lives in that space. If your decor is too bold, too specific to you or too unusual, it pulls them right out of the picture and you've completely taken over their imagination. Now they're thinking about you and not the house.
The goal is to get them to fall in love, so it's important to only keep a little bit of simple, neutral decor that you're selling. The neutral decor doesn't mean it has to be boring. It just means it shouldn't stand out too much. And when you're trying to sell, neutral is powerful.
This allows the best features to come forward , whether it's the hardwood floors, the natural lighting, or the flow of the room. That is what sells houses.
So what's the fix?
Pack up anything that's very loud, weird, or personal to you, personal pictures, change those bold colours to softer, more neutral ones, keep the artwork simple and the furniture uncluttered.
You want buyers to focus on one thing. The house itself.
Unfixed Damages. Buyers notice and judge a home based on seemingly small, neglected repairs. It's important to address these issues, including cosmetic problems and dirty carpets and floors, before a buyer’s inspection.
Most homeowners get used to little things over time, and the problem is that buyers don't see things the way that you see them. So even cosmetic stuff, the door that sticks, the stain on the wall; you've lived there a long time and you don't even notice it anymore.
But for someone walking in for the first time, that stands out like a sore thumb and it's a giant warning sign. So you have to fix these things before the inspection, not after.
Walk through your house like a buyer would, change your glasses! In fact it's way better for a friend or a realtor to do this because they're not emotionally attached to the history in the home. Someone who will be honest and take notes on everything that's broken, scratched, loose, or damaged.
So what's the fix?
You want to go down that list and check everything off because buyers will absolutely judge the entire house based on something that's seemingly small but they consider a neglected repair.
Dirty Carpets & Floors. Clean carpets and floors are crucial as they are the foundation of every room and buyers subconsciously factor their condition into their offer. Addressing stains, wear, and damage before listing can increase the property’s value.
Your carpets and floors are the foundation of every room. So when a buyer walks in, they actually have their eyes naturally scanning the floor. If your floors are stained, worn out or just plain dirty, hardwood floors with scratches that need to be sanded and polished, that sends a powerful negative message that you don't want to send, even subconsciously.
It also triggers mental cost calculators that's significant to buyers. They will factor it into their offer, if they even get as far as making one.
So what's the fix?
Repair noticeable damage to the floors before you list that property for sale.
It's money in your pocket!
Personal Photos. Removing personal photos from a home for sale creates a blank canvas for buyers to envision themselves living there. Professional staging can help neutralise the space, making it feel welcoming without revealing too much about the current occupants.
Again, clear all that stuff out. This seems a seemingly small thing, but it has a surprisingly big impact on buyers. They visualise somebody else living there and you want them to imagine themselves living there.
Think about it from their perspective. They walk in immediately surrounded by your personal photos, and what happens? Their focus shifts from the house to your story, and that's not what you want. The goal when you're selling, is to create a blank canvas.
So while you want the home to feel inviting, too much personal stuff and too many pictures, makes it harder for buyers to see themselves actually living there.
And this also gives strangers walking through your home a very detailed look into your life, which isn't ideal for your privacy.
So what's the fix?
This is why professional staging is important. You don't have to have professional staging, but a good stager does know how to neutralise that space without being too sterile. They will make it feel welcoming without personal photos giving the vibe that someone else actually lives here.
Pet Odors & Mess. Pet odours and damage can negatively impact a home sale. A deep clean, including carpets and baseboards is recommended, and a second opinion on odours is crucial. Removing all pet-related items and taking pets out of the house during showings is also advised.
If you've got pets, you really need to read this! We love our pets and may not notice the smell. You've gone nose blind, but a buyer entering the home can smell pets!
It could be the cat litter, bird cages, the dog bed, wet fur or an old dirty carpet. Whatever it is, once that smell is in their nose it hints to the buyer that the place is dirty. You might know that the house is very clean, you might vacuum and clean every day, but buyers believe what they feel as they walk through that door. So it's not just about that smell, it's the feeling buyers get that matters too.
Dogs can scratch doors, chew corners on walls and fur clings to furniture. When buyers see this stuff, they immediately start thinking about extra costs for cleaning and decorating. The cost of professional cleaning or replacing carpets, even allergies that might linger, might just totally turn buyers off. It creates doubt, and doubt kills sales. So they mentally take money off a potential offer, if any offer at all.
This means hiring professional cleaners, to clean carpets, steam clean, wipe down the baseboards, the walls. And if that smell is really strong, consider using an ozone machine to neutralise odours, because this is crucial.
So what's the fix?
Before every showing, make sure that all signs of pets, including litter boxes, pet bowls, pet beds, scratching posts, bird cages, anything that signals that an animal lives there besides you, and needs to be out of sight. If possible, take your pet with you during showings. Make arrangements.
It's not forever, it's just until you get that house sold!
Overpowering Scents. Strong artificial scents can trigger suspicion and make buyers think there is a hidden issue. It is best to avoid artificial scents and open windows for showings.
If using a scent, opt for a neutral option like lemon or vanilla.
Now, we've talked about pet owners, but let's go a little bit deeper here because this is something that many sellers completely miss.
Sellers want their home to smell nice, right? But the problem is, it can actually be a huge turnoff for buyers. That strong artificial scent can actually trigger suspicion. This is when buyers wonder "what's the hidden issue behind all that perfume?"
Even natural scents can be problematic if they're too strong. What if somebody has an allergy?
So the best is not to use any artificial scent at all. Instead, open the windows for every showing and air the house if possible.
So what's the fix?
If you must use a scent, make sure it's something that's just a little bit more neutral, like a slight hint of lemon or vanilla.
Again, don't use anything artificial.
Outdated or Broken Fixtures. Outdated fixtures such as old "yellowed" plastic light switches, rusty taps and broken doors, can negatively impact potential buyers.
Imagine you walk into the house and the first thing you see is some yellow plastic light switch place, or rusty and leaky taps, a tap that broke off or doors that don't open properly. Broken light fittings, missing light bulbs, chipped paintwork, and the list goes on.
You don't want to make a negative impression to that potential buyer, and these things are relatively cheap and easy to do.
So what's the fix?
Do these repairs and touch-ups as early as possible, preferably before the realtor values your home, but certainly before the first showings.
It means money in your pocket!
Excess furniture. Especially in smaller rooms, excess furniture can make a space feel cramped and uncomfortable for potential buyers. Removing unnecessary pieces, especially in bedrooms, can create a more open and inviting feel, potentially increasing the perceived size of the room.
You might have a big family and over the years you probably filled every corner with furniture to make it work. You need places to sit, places to store stuff, places to work, but when it comes to selling, they're not going to do you any favours.
It's a really common issue, especially in a smaller living room or smaller bedrooms. The truth is, buyers don't want to see your squeezed in clutter. They want to feel like there's plenty of room for them to live in the home.
Remove some pieces of furniture that force people to awkwardly sidestep, to navigate through a room. The key is to clear bedrooms, especially the primary bedroom and make sure that the space is open and you can walk through comfortably on both sides of the bed. It's a simple detail that can make a bedroom feel significantly larger.
So what's the fix?
Make sure you can walk around all the furniture. If you have overflow furniture, get it into storage while the house is on the market. It could be an extra cost, but that's nothing compared to the value you'll add to your selling price.
After the deal's closed, you'll move your furniture to your new house anyway!
Political & Religious Items. Remove political and religious items from your home during the selling process to appeal to a wider audience.
Signs, flags, symbols that clearly show your political or religious beliefs can unintentionally turn off potential buyers. So, to make your home appeal to the widest audience, it's best to remove any of this kind of stuff during the selling process.
It doesn't matter which side of the fence you're on - the goal isn't to convert them to your way of thinking, it's to get the house sold!
So what's the fix?
Store your religious and political paraphernalia until the house is sold.
Make beds, tidy bedrooms & bathrooms. Unmade beds, messy bedrooms & bathrooms can turn off potential buyers. A few minutes of tidying up can make a huge impact on first impressions.
It might seem pretty obvious, but an unmade bed or a generally messy room can really turn off a lot of people. And it just takes a few extra minutes to make those beds, tidy up the surfaces, and put things away (or get the teenagers to do their rooms!).
Make sure baths & showers are clean. A dirty shower screen can put buyers off a home in seconds. Put away personal hygiene items - buyers can't imagine living in the home when your shampoo and toothbrush are on display!
So what's the fix?
Take a little time tidying and cleaning before every showing. The impact of this first impression of the home is huge.
Trash & Junk Piles! A clean outdoor space, including properly stored trash, repaired fixtures, and a well-manicured lawn, is crucial for a positive first impression on potential buyers.
Now, buyers' first impression often begins the minute they see your house from the street.
If you open the garage door, that overflowing trash can or piles of random items in the yard do not give a positive impression, and you don't want that as a home seller.
So take the time to ensure your outdoor areas are as nice and clean as they can be, and this includes properly storing trash, preparing any broken fixtures, and removing the unnecessary clutter outside the house too.
And yes, that absolutely includes making sure the lawn is mowed, the edging is done, and the trees and hedges are all trimmed.
So what's the fix?
Take a little time preparing and cleaning before every showing. The impact of this first impression of the home is huge.
Bold paint colours can negatively impact how a buyer perceives the size of rooms, making them feel smaller. Neutral or lighter colours are recommended as they reflect light and make rooms feel brighter and more spacious.
This is a huge red flag. Beyond personal taste, bold painting colours can also negatively impact how a buyer perceives the size of your rooms. So, dark or very bright colours tend to absorb that light and it's going to make that space feel smaller, and potentially a bit more claustrophobic.
That's why we always recommend neutral or lighter colours as they reflect light, which actually makes the rooms feel brighter and more spacious. It's not about just changing your house, it's about removing the reasons that the buyer might say no or try to negotiate the price down.
So what's the fix?
When you remove these objections, you're opening up a clear path for them to offer your asking price. So every item that you leave out, every smell, every sign of your life, will overpower the buyers' vision that they're trying to build for themselves.
And ultimately, you're just selling land with walls and a roof.
They're buying the potential for a new life, right?