boligkrydder

The photographer is coming i morgen, hva skal jeg gjøre?

First of all, the bad news, because if the photographer is coming tomorrow, chances are you won't have enough time to make a proper job, and you'll soon realise you have far more stuff than you ever thought. But please don't panic! Let's go over the the do's and don'ts of preparing your place for the photo shoot.

First, an eye opener.

Why should you follow these recommendations?

First and foremost, good pictures are the single most important step in the marketing process after the price. The first visning you'll have is on the internet, not in real life, and guess what, you only have a few seconds to create a good impression, so they ought to be the best pictures ever!

 
Second, the photographer has a limited time to do the job. The shoot will take between forty-five minutes, for the average two bedroom apartment, to an hour and a half for the biggest properties. Please note that roughly the same amount of time will be spent editing the photographs.

As a disclaimer, I would like to point out that this is the standard time set by the industry in Norway and should be more than enough IF everything is perfect.

General  

Make sure that all lights are working. Have some spare lightbulbs, just in case. Depending on the situation the photographer will decide to turn them on or off, but that's a whole other chapter.

Toys, garden appliances, sports equipment, bikes and any other gear must be stored away, either in the bod, your own garage space or the hallway to your apartment (outside, that is).

Wash windows inside and out.

Remove all personal photographs.

Polish chrome faucets and mirrors -- in detail shots, dirt will show.

Clean floors.

Patch holes in walls.

Mow the lawn.

We live in Norway, so chances are you'll have plenty of candles, so please, remember to have a lighter or matches :)

DO NOT store ANYTHING under the sofas or beds.

If you have a pet, ask somebody to take care of it during the shoot. If you're alone, then leave it outside.

And lastly, almost every home shows better with less furniture, so remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage.

Musical instruments are great for creating atmosphere, they are just beautiful things to look at, so if you have one, clean it and make it look at it's best.

Gang

Remove shoes, clothes and anything that is on the way. That includes the fire extinguisher. Leaving a nice jacket or even a cool pair of shoes is a good idea.

If you have a closet, make sure there's nothing on top.

Stue

Eliminate unnecessary distractions, such as family pictures, video games, remotes , CDs or magazines.

Hide all cables. If the TV or stereo system have visible cables, simply unplug them and store the cables away. After all we're not turning on the TV for the shoot.

To rug or not to rug? Rugs help create a koselig atmosphere, so if you have one, it's ok to leave it, if you don't like them, it's also OK, as it's a matter of personal preference.

If you have a peis, buy one of these, it costs less than 30 krs and creates a really nice flame that would last for the entire shoot. Even when shooting in July is a good idea to have the fire on.

Common sense should prevail. Decluttering doesn't mean you have to get rid of absolutely everything you have in the living room. You want to depersonalize your place, but at the same time you want to stand out and be a little different. As somebody said, “ it's nice to be ahead of the crowd but not too much that you end up alone”.

Kjokken

Remove all kitchen appliances from the kjokkenbenk, leaving only the cool stuff. You know what I mean by that. If it's expensive and stylish it's ok. If not, better remove it. Remember you're not only selling your place, but a lifestyle.

Just to give you an idea, it's normal for people to borrow these things, so if your boyfriend or girlfriend or even your neighbour has some flashy appliances, don't be afraid to borrow them. It's only for a moment and it could help turn a boring kitchen into something that will draw more attention on the internet.

Again, hide all cables.

Get rid of spices, left overs, dishes, etc. The kjokkenbenk has to be absolutely clean, and I also mean getting rid of those useless boxes you have on top of the skap.

Don't put anything inside the oven.

Clean and polish everything. I cannot stress enough this statement, you have no idea how many times I have to discard some really nice shots because I realise the surface is just too dirty.

Cooking books always look good.

I'm sure you love your kids, but please, their drawings don't need to be in the picture. Same applies to fridge magnets, calendars, etc.

If you have your laundry machine in the kitchen, this must be empty.

Fruits, vegetables, flowers or plants are a must. So don't be cheap and get some colourful stuff!

Soverom

First and foremost, PLEASE don't hide anything underneath the bed, and if you have no choice, make sure you can't see it if you go down on your knees (this is the height we'll be shooting).

Hide TV cables.

In the kids' room is important to remove football posters and the like. Excess toys is negative, leaving some is ok. Take into consideration that it should look like a child's room not a toy warehouse.

If you have a crib in the main soverom, please remove it.

If you don't have nice blankets or covers, and if your economy allows you to, buy some. For a few kroners you can get really nice stuff at any blue and yellow megastore.

Having a book on the night table always looks good.

Space is the most important factor in bedrooms, so remove anything that's stealing m² from you.

Bad

Remove all personal hygiene items such as toothbrushes, paste, hair care products, electric appliances, etc.

Leave the towels only if they're close to brand new. Old towels look really bad in pictures.

Again, sorry to insist, but clean and polish everything. This is of the outmost importance for close up and detail shots of faucets and cabinets.

As with the rest of the house, candles and flowers help.

One last word  

You're not selling a house, you're selling a lifestyle. I cannot stress enough this statement. Little things make a huge difference when shooting a property. So go ahead and get some flowers, fruits or vegetables a few interior magazines and books. You'll be glad you did it afterwards.