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The Grange

Preparing your home

Your preparation checklist

Work through these before the shoot and the first viewings. It looks like a lot, but most of it is quick — and every bit of it helps your home land that strong first impression. Think of it as a head start on packing, too.

01

Remember where your things are

Before you tidy everything away, note where your phone, keys, money and the TV remote have gone. It saves a frustrating hunt afterwards.

02

Have every room ready

Please don’t plan to shift things from room to room during the visit — it isn’t part of the appointment, it eats into the time, and it slows everything down. If space or time is tight, the visit can still go ahead; we’ll assess on arrival.

In short: hide, clear, minimise, and pack away the personal bits. Decluttering every room now doubles as a head start on the move. Somewhere to put it all? A garage, spare room, attic, shed — even the car — all do the job nicely.

Living spaces

  • Clear coffee tables, side tables and worktops — the fewer objects, the calmer the room reads
  • Charging cables and remotes out of sight
  • Newspapers and magazines away
  • Signs of pets kept minimal — toys, beds, bowls and food

Kitchen

  • Worktops clear of clutter, including larger items and the kitchen roll
  • Put away oven mitts, dish cloths, brushes, sponges, the drying rack and any chip fryer
  • On the fridge: remove magnets and postcards, or at least keep them to a minimum
  • A fruit bowl or some flowers on the table can lift the room

Bathroom

  • Toiletries, the toilet brush, bleach, towels and scales tucked away
  • Surfaces clear and wiped down

Bedrooms

  • Clear the tops of bedside tables — and down the sides of the bed too
  • Check nothing can be seen stored under the beds
  • Nothing hanging on the backs of doors — towels, dressing gowns, jackets

Bins

The aim is images with no bins in them at all.

  • Move every bin out of view — kitchen, bathroom and bedroom
  • Outside too: wheelie bins away, including the neighbours’ if they’d be in the main shot

Entrance & laundry

  • Shoes, hats and gloves removed or kept to a minimum
  • Laundry basket, products, iron and clothes airer out of sight
  • No clothes drying, inside or out

Light

  • Check every bulb works — ceiling lights, lamps and bedside lights all on and even

Family photos

Staging is about helping a buyer picture themselves living here.

  • Have fewer family photos on show, or none
  • If swapping framed photos on the walls is a hassle, it’s fine to leave those as they are

Vehicles

A clear view of the house — ideally with no car in shot, yours or a neighbour’s.

  • On a busy street, a parked car out front can usefully hold the space so others don’t block the view
  • If a neighbour is parked in front, it’s worth asking if they can move
  • When it’s time for the outside photos, move your car off the drive — it only takes a few minutes and it goes straight back after

Over the top? Probably. But on a first impression, it’s always better to be.

Ready when you are

Let’s get your home on the market

Book a free valuation and we’ll plan the shoot, the film and the launch together.

Book a free valuation