The Morning of Your Listing Photos

What to do in the two hours before the photographer arrives.

The weeks of prep are behind you. Today is about execution.

If you're still working through the bigger decluttering and staging decisions, start with our Nashville home staging guide first. This guide is specifically for the morning of.

The Night Before (Don't Skip This)

Photo day goes sideways when sellers leave everything for the morning. Handle these the night before:

• Run and empty the dishwasher
• Take out all trash, including bathroom cans
• Put away all laundry and tidy the laundry room
• Wipe down bathroom counters and mirrors
• Make the beds with your best linens

Outside

• Move every car — yours and anyone parked in front of the house. Ask a neighbor if you need to.
• Sweep or blow the driveway and front walk
• Move trash cans out of frame entirely — to the side yard or into the garage
• Coil and store any loose garden hoses
• Close the garage door

Kitchen

• Clear counters completely, then add back one or two intentional things: a cutting board, a bowl of fruit, a small plant. One countertop appliance at max
• Hide dish soap, sponge, and hand soap under the sink
• Empty and dry the sink
• Take everything off the refrigerator doors — magnets, calendars, drawings, all of it
• Put away pet dishes, pet food, the recycling bin, and floormats

The one thing worth buying: fresh flowers. 🌷 A $10–12 bunch on the kitcheb island or dining table adds life without looking staged.

Bathrooms

• Clear counters — toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, hair tools, prescription bottles, all of it under the cabinet
• Move the floor scale to a closet
• Put out fresh, matching towels
• Close all toilet lids
• Remove the toilet brush, plunger, and anything stored on the floor
• Pull the bath mat
• Clear the shower — all products out, or down to one clean bar in a dish
• Clean the mirrors

Bedrooms

• Make beds properly — corners tucked, pillows arranged, throw folded at the foot
• Clear nightstands down to the lamp and one book
• Close closet doors unless the closet is a selling feature
• Nothing on the floor except furniture and rugs

Living Areas

• Coffee table and end tables: one or two objects, placed deliberately — remotes, chargers, and coasters away
• Kid toys, pet beds, crates, and litter boxes out of sight
• Simplify anything on bookshelves that reads as cluttered

Lighting

• Turn on every light — lamps, overheads, under-cabinet, vanities
• Replace any burned-out bulbs before the photographer arrives
• Open every blind and curtain
• If you have smart bulbs, set them all to the same warm white

Before You're Done

Walk through the house like a stranger. You've gone blind to the things that live in the same spot every day — the charging station on the counter, the shoes by the back door, the dog toy bin by the couch. One slow walk-through catches most of it.

Then get out of the way.  I promise you'll get better photos if you give them quiet and space to do their artist thing. Plan for them to be there for about 90 minutes.

Related: Nashville home staging tips · Preparing your home for market

Stephanie & James Crawford — Nesting Realty

Nashville natives. 22+ years. 500+ closed transactions. We handle every listing personally and include professional photography as standard. (615) 751-8913