Where to Hide Pets, Cars, and Personal Items Before Real Estate Photos

Shoot day always brings chaos. Sellers are running around with laundry baskets. Agents are adjusting pillows while we try to figure out the light before the sun dips behind a cloud. Getting a home ready for the camera takes work. Prepping a rainy listing in Seattle or a sunny pool home in Sarasota means figuring out exactly what needs hiding. We want buyers looking at the layout. Clean surfaces translate better on screen.

Getting cars out of the driveway

Driveways take up a huge chunk of exterior shots. A daily commuter parked right up front distracts buyers from the architecture. Have sellers move all vehicles into the garage. Parking down the street works too.

This gets even trickier if we're shooting drone real estate photography. Aerials capture the entire lot line from above. Cars sitting out break up the clean lines and make the lot feel cramped.

Exterior view of a modern luxury home with two cars parked in the driveway during dusk.

Vehicles also cause weird reflection problems. A bright red truck parked close to the living room will cast a strange color onto the glass. We just want crisp exteriors. Getting the vehicles out of the frame gives the house massive curb appeal.

Managing pets and their gear

We love pets. Buyers do not want to see them in listing media. A dog bed sitting in the corner of the primary bedroom makes people wonder about odors. They wonder about scratched hardwood floors.

Have sellers take the dog for a walk during the shoot. If that isn't possible, put them in a crate in the garage. We can agree to skip a specific room entirely. If you booked a Cinematic Package, the microphones will pick up barking. That absolutely ruins the luxury feel of a video tour.

Hide the accessories. Water bowls and scratching posts need to disappear completely. Toss them in a closet. When we shoot a 3D Matterport tour, buyers pan down to look at the floor plan. You can't hide a dirty litter box behind a door in 3D. The lens catches everything.

Exactly what to hide before real estate photos

Counters are the biggest offenders in any house. Clear off the kitchen island. Leave an espresso machine or a stand mixer. Put away the paper towels and wet sponges. Hide the giant piles of mail.

Kitchen sinks must be completely empty. Remove the dish rack. Scrub out the basin. Pull every magnet and drawing off the refrigerator. Stainless steel appliances look highly premium when they are completely bare.

Bathrooms require even more ruthlessness. Hide the toothbrushes and shampoo bottles. Put away the plungers and bathmats. Bare tile makes a bathroom look bigger. Pull the trash cans out entirely. Wipe down the mirrors.

Family portraits and religious symbols should go into a cardboard box. Buyers need to picture themselves living in the space. A massive gallery wall of someone else's family photos makes them feel like intruders.

Dealing with closets and garages

Sellers constantly ask where to put all this stuff while we shoot. The garage is usually your safest bet. We rarely shoot the inside of a standard two-car garage unless it features custom epoxy flooring or custom cabinets. It makes the perfect dumping ground for shoot day.

Closets are a mixed bag. Stuffing things into bedroom closets works perfectly fine for standard HDR photos. We don't open closed doors.

However, buyers can explore the layout in deep detail if you booked a Zillow Showcase Package. Large walk-in closets act as a major selling feature for high-end properties. Keep those specific closets highly organized. Put the overflow items out in the garage instead. Buyers will assume the house lacks storage space if a walk-in closet is jammed floor-to-ceiling with boxes.

Regional prep for Seattle and Sarasota

Prepping a house looks a little different depending on the coast. The weather forces a massive amount of gear indoors up in Seattle. Entryways get heavily cluttered with dirty boots and wet raincoats. Clear all of that out. Check out A Seattle Agent's Guide on How to Prepare a House for Listing Photos for a deeper read into Northwest specific prep.

Down in Florida, clutter usually migrates to the lanai and the pool deck. Pool noodles and grill covers need to be shoved into a deck box. We want the outdoor living space to look like a private resort. Not a busy family weekend.

A modern waterfront house in Sarasota with a pool and lawn

Florida homes deal with harsh afternoon sun. Make sure window blinds are working properly. We can angle them to reduce aggressive glare on the hardwood floors.

The camera sees things quite differently

A room that feels cozy in person often looks messy on a digital screen. Cameras naturally compress physical space. Extra pillows on the couch and a tall stack of magazines on the coffee table might look professionally styled to the naked eye. In a photo, it just looks really busy.

When in doubt, remove the item entirely. Empty countertops reflect more natural light. Clear floors make the room feel much wider. You can browse our gallery to see exactly how clean minimalist spaces translate into high-end media.

If sellers are tight on cash and can't afford professional cleaners before the shoot, we offer Pay at Close as an optional financing method through a third-party partner. It involves a one-time fee and is subject to approval. It helps agents fund top-tier media packages without asking the seller for upfront cash. It's a loan that is repaid whether or not the listing sells. Advanced digital decluttering isn't usually worth paying for. It looks fake and buyers notice. Get the physical items out of the room instead.

Can the photographer just edit out the car in the driveway?

Removing a car in post-processing is highly complex. It rarely looks natural. You end up with weird digital shadows and blurry spots where the concrete driveway should be. Moving the car before we arrive is always the best solution.

Do I really need to hide all my family photos?

We strongly recommend doing it. Depersonalizing the space helps potential buyers imagine their own family living there. Plus, it protects the seller's privacy once the listing hits the public internet.

What should I do with the TV remotes and loose cables?

Tuck all remotes into a drawer. For visible cables hanging from a mounted television, try to zip-tie them behind the screen. Tangled cords instantly draw the eye away from the room's best features.

Can we leave the trash cans out by the side of the house?

Try to hide them completely inside the garage. A tall wooden fence enclosure works too. Bright blue recycling bins really stick out in exterior photos and drone video sweeps. Clean floors and empty counters make our job much easier.