Whether the rental you’re offering is vacant or occupied, rest assured that potential tenants will be combing over photos of your property before they schedule an in-person showing. Prospects may decide not to see a home at all based on the photos. Follow these tips to spruce up your home before your agents come by that will help your home look its best.
Exterior
Park your car in the garage or around the corner.
Close all doors.
Move garbage bins out of frame.
Clean up any outdoor clutter. (bikes, toys, broken furniture, etc)
Edge and mulch flower beds, trim trees, mow lawn, weed.(in season)
Interior
General:
Open all shades and blinds.
Make sure that open shades and blinds are level and even.
Turn on all lights.
Remove as many items as possible and de-clutter. Pre-pack decorative items, personal photos, stacks of mail, etc. Bare is not bad.
Remove toys from sight or organize them neatly.
Store valuables.
Put trash cans out of sight.
Remove all pet accessories such as bowls, beds, litter boxes, crates etc.
Vacuum all carpets
Clean *everything*
Kitchen:
Remove magnets and other items on the refrigerator surface.
Clear as much as possible off the kitchen counters.
Dining Area:
Remove high chairs and booster seats.
Put excess chairs out of sight.
Living Room/Family Room:
Remove excess furniture.
Turn off the TV. If TV is located in a cabinet, close the door.
Remove large or dying plants.
Bedrooms:
Make your beds and confirm that nothing shows under the bed
Remove your children’s names from walls and other visible locations
Bathrooms:
Neatly fold towels
Leave the shower curtain open.
Remove items hanging on doors.
Most important is that your home is completely clean and no repairs are needed, no matter how minor. Clutter should be cleared completely out of the home and avoid just tucking it in a corner or wedging it into an overstuffed closet. Even if unsightly boxes and piles can be cropped out of photos they will show up in the video tour and may as well be moved out if they’re going anyway. At a showing the prospect is likely to check out closet and cabinet space, so the neater storage areas are the better.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
