PRACTICAL GUIDES · LITTLE HELPING HAND

Prepare your lived-in home for photographs or viewings

Download the one-page viewing checklist (PDF)

Agree the brief with your estate agent

Ask which rooms will be photographed and what they recommend preparing. Note the appointment time and choose the areas you can reasonably tackle. This checklist supports light sorting and tidying; it does not replace your agent’s advice or promise a sale result.

Protect personal information

Put private documents, visible account details, keys and valuables somewhere secure that you can find again. Check what might appear in photographs, including papers on a desk or noticeboard. Do not hide essential items so well that normal household routines become difficult.

Clear useful surfaces and routes

Choose the main worktops, table and entrance. Return things to their usual homes rather than filling every cupboard at random. Keep walkways and exits clear. Make one labelled temporary box for items you need to put back afterwards, if that helps.

Give each room a small finishing check

Straighten everyday items, put laundry in its usual place and remove temporary piles from the areas being photographed. Arrange separate cleaning or repairs if needed. Leave furniture moving, electrical work and anything heavy to a suitable provider.

Keep the home workable between visits

Choose a short reset you can repeat before the next viewing. Keep everyday essentials accessible. There is no need to maintain a show-home arrangement that makes daily life harder. Agree household responsibilities so one person is not repeatedly sorting everyone’s belongings.

If you would like practical help

Carla can help with light decluttering, tidying and agreed finishing touches before photographs or viewings. Send your postcode, appointment date and the rooms that matter most. Availability and scope are agreed before booking; furniture hire, deep cleaning and sale-price guarantees are not included.

Ask about viewing preparation. Find more practical guides and free checklists.