Preparing your home for photography

Please make sure your home is ready when our photographer arrives. This will mean they can get going straight away, giving them more time to capture every detail. Just remember – we like our listings to look natural, so there's no need to lay the table.

Tidy up as much as you can, keep surfaces clear of clutter and remove any personal objects. We want to keep buyers' attention on the architectural and decorative beauty of your home, so if you can avoid displaying anything too visually distracting – children's toys, pet paraphernalia or birthday cards, for instance – it really helps. Also, make sure you go over your surfaces with a duster. Dust that isn't visible to the naked eye shows up in photographs.

Hide any cables and wiring and, if possible, move your TV out of view. As a general rule, we try to avoid including technology in photos wherever we can. If moving screens is impossible, a strategically placed potted plant can work wonders.

The kitchen can be a huge selling point of a home. To make the most of yours, ensure the surfaces are sparkling, drying-up cloths and oven gloves are out of sight, and the taps are shiny and free of limescale.

Festive decorations and roaring fires quickly date pictures of your home. Keep things seasonless by turning fires off and hiding baubles.

We shoot using only natural light, so please make sure all switches are off. On that note, it’s a good idea to have your windows cleaned. Not only will they let more light in, they'll look much better in pictures and allow views to gardens outside.

Use greenery to bring a bit more life to your rooms. They'll bring texture to the pictures and help brighten things up.

Tidy up the garden, as it could make all the difference to your buyer. Mow the lawn and clean any paving stones or decking. If your beds are looking a bit bare, think about getting some potted plants.

The same goes for any space you may have in front of your home. While interiors are key, it's also important to remember that viewings start outside when prospective buyers arrive. Wheelie bins in front of buildings can be off-putting, so please make sure to move yours (and your neighbours') out of shot, if you can.

If it's feasible, move cars from the front of the building to allow for clear exterior shots. It would be good to ask the neighbours to move their cars ahead of time, too, if you can.