Preparing a void for photography

The short answer

Photography is what most people see before they decide whether to view, so the two hours before the photographer arrives matter. Clean the windows, open every blind fully, put every light on, remove contractor debris and signage, close toilet lids, and take down anything hanging that dates the property. An empty property photographs better with a small amount of simple staging in the main rooms.

What the work involves

A final tidy and light check, window cleaning, removing tools and materials, and simple staging of the living room, main bedroom and kitchen worktop.

Rules and responsibilities in Scotland

Marketing images must not misrepresent the property. In Scotland a Home Report must be available before a property is marketed for sale.

What commonly goes wrong

Photographs taken on a dull afternoon with half the lights off, and wide-angle images that misrepresent room size.

What it usually costs

Indicative ranges only, to help you judge a quote. They are not an estimate for your property — only the business doing the work can give you that.

• Professional photography is a small cost against the effect it has on enquiry volume.
• Light staging — a rug, a lamp, folded towels — costs little and can be reused across properties.
• Window cleaning immediately before the shoot is one of the highest-return small jobs.

What to do, in order

1. 1Clean the windows inside and out the day before.
2. 2Remove all tools, materials, boxes and contractor signage.
3. 3Open every blind and curtain fully and switch every light on.
4. 4Stage the living room, main bedroom and kitchen simply.
5. 5Book the shoot for the brightest part of the day for that aspect.

Local detail for the Lothians

• North-facing Edinburgh tenement rooms need morning or bright-overcast shoots and every light on to avoid looking dark.
• Photograph the outlook where there is one — a view of the Meadows, the Firth or a garden square is a genuine selling point.
• For a sale, the Home Report has to be in place before marketing begins in Scotland.

When you need a professional

A property photographer with wide-angle and light-balancing experience; for a sale, the solicitor estate agent usually arranges it.

Common questions

Should an empty property be staged?

Light staging in the main rooms helps a viewer read scale and purpose. Full furniture hire is rarely necessary for a let.

Do I need a Home Report before photographs?

For a sale in Scotland the Home Report must be available before the property is marketed, so it is commissioned early.

Related pages

• Void deep clean

  The clean that gets a property back to letting or marketing standard, room by room.

• Void timeline and budget

  Planning the turnaround so the property is not empty longer, or more expensively, than it needs to be.

• Garden reset between tenancies

  Bringing an overgrown garden back before photographs, and keeping it manageable.