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Getting the house ready for photos: what to clean, what to hide?

Room by room, tick as you go. Add your listing date and get the declutter, deep clean and photo day dates on Google Calendar.

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Next steps

  1. Set the listing date with your agent, then add the three dates above to your calendar. Photos need 1–2 days for editing before the listing goes live.
  2. Book a storage unit, a pod or a friend's garage before you start decluttering. Boxes stacked in the garage show up in photos too.
  3. Repairs before selling: T24 What to fix. The full seller prep list: T23 Seller checklist.
  4. Ask your agent if professional staging is worth it for your home. In NAR's 2025 survey, 83% of buyers' agents said staging made it easier for buyers to picture the home as theirs.

Common misconception: "Buyers can see past the clutter." They can't, because most never get that far. Buyers pick which homes to tour from the listing photos: 73% of buyers' agents say photos are highly important to their clients (NAR 2025). A cluttered photo means a skipped showing.

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Or text: 408-666-2825