Tenants pay for the furniture. Make sure the photos show it.
A furnished home is leased off its photos before anyone walks through the door. A couple of hours of preparation is the cheapest thing you can do for the rent.
What good looks like. Furnished homes we've leased recently.
All shot by our photographer on the day, with the owner's own furniture. Tap a photo to see what was done before we arrived.
The ten that matter most. Tap each one off as you go.
If you only have an afternoon, do these.
- 01Mow and edge the lawns, front and back
- 02Replace every blown light globe
- 03Clean windows and mirrors, inside and out
- 04Put clutter, personal items and anything not staying in the garage
- 05Clear every benchtop, vanity and bedside table
- 06Make every bed with clean, neutral linen
- 07Hang fresh matching towels and put toilet lids down
- 08Move cars off the driveway and put the bins away
- 09Open every blind and curtain, turn on every light
- 10Turn off ceiling fans, TVs and screens
What's in the photos is what's in the lease.
This is where furnished homes differ. Tenants reasonably expect what they see in the listing to be there when they move in, so the photos and the inventory need to match.
Take out what's leaving.
If the coffee machine, the artwork, the rug or the outdoor setting isn't staying, remove it before the shoot. It is much easier than explaining its absence at the ingoing inspection.
Use the garage.
The garage is rarely photographed, so it is the easiest place for clutter, personal items and anything that isn't staying. Pack it in there and close the door.
Leave in what's staying.
Furnished tenants are paying for the full set up, so show it. Dining chairs at the table, the outdoor setting on the patio, the TV on its unit, a made bed in every bedroom.
Style with what you have.
A bowl of fruit, a folded throw or a plant is plenty. Avoid borrowing decor for the day, because anything in the photos becomes part of what tenants expect.
Linen and towels.
White or neutral linen, freshly washed and pressed if you can, and matching towels in every bathroom. If linen is included in the lease, this is how tenants judge it.
Most of the work happens days before, not on the morning.
A week out.
Anything that needs a tradie or a booking.
- Fix scuffed paint, loose handles and dripping taps
- Replace blown globes, including pendants, rangehood and outdoor lights
- Book a professional clean if it's between tenants. We can get you a quote
- Weed the garden beds and prune anything overgrown
- Replace dead pot plants rather than photographing them
- Tell us about anything new that's worth a close-up
Two days out.
The jobs that need to look fresh.
- Mow and edge the lawns, front and back
- In summer, give the lawn a soak on your watering day
- Wash windows, sliding doors and mirrors, inside and out
- Move clutter, personal items and anything not staying into the garage
- Wash and press the linen and towels
Shoot day.
Finished an hour before we arrive.
- Open every blind and curtain fully
- Turn on every light, including lamps and under-cabinet lighting
- Turn off ceiling fans, TVs and screens
- Move cars off the driveway and away from the front of the house
- Bins out of sight. On bin day, bring them in once they've been emptied
- Pets off site, with beds, bowls and toys put away
- One last walk through for stray items and dishes in the sink
Room by room.
The camera sees every surface. Clear them back to one or two things that belong there.
Kitchen
- Benchtops back to one or two items
- Kettle, toaster and dish rack away
- Tea towels, sponges and detergent hidden
- Fridge door cleared of magnets and notes
Living and dining
- Cushions plumped, one throw folded over an arm
- Remotes, chargers and cables out of sight
- Dining chairs evenly spaced
- Mail and keys off every surface
Bedrooms
- Every bed made, pillows straight
- Bedside tables clear, or a single lamp
- Nothing under the beds or on the wardrobes
- Wardrobe doors closed
Bathrooms
- Every personal item off the vanity and out of the shower
- Toilet lids down
- Clean, matching towels
- Scales, bins and bath mats away
Laundry
- Benchtop clear
- Baskets, detergents and the ironing board away
- Cupboard doors closed
Outdoors
- Entry, porch, patio and paths swept
- Outdoor setting squared up, umbrella closed
- Hose rolled up, garden tools away
- Pool cleaned and the pool cleaner out
Editing fixes the camera. It doesn't fix the house.
We never edit out something a tenant would notice at the viewing, so anything in the right hand column needs doing before we arrive.
Fixed in editing
- A grey sky on the exterior shots
- Wide angle distortion and sloping walls
- Colour balance between warm and cool globes
- Specks of dust and minor marks on a surface
Needs doing before we arrive
- Cars on the driveway
- Streaky windows and mirrors
- Long grass and untidy gardens
- Light fittings that don't work
- Clutter, cables and personal items
- Repairs that haven't been done
If your tenants are still living there.
We arrange the time with them and give written notice. We'll ask for clear benchtops, made beds, clean floors and pets off site, but we won't ask them to move furniture or deep clean for a shoot they didn't ask for.
If their belongings change how the furniture reads, we'll talk to you about booking the photos after they've moved out and the vacate clean is done.
Not sure what should stay in the shot? Ask before you pack it away.
Call Daria on 0422 238 434 or email daria@localpropertypartners.com.au. Happy to look at a few phone photos and tell you what to move.
Local Property Partners, 2/103 Flora Terrace, North Beach WA 6020. localpropertypartners.com.au