Tour Preparations 101

Getting setup and ready for your interactive 360 virtual tour is very important when marketing properties online. Remember that a 360 virtual tour will filter out many home shoppers and unnecessary cleanups so doing a great job on the first pass will certainly pay off in the end. Your property will be shown 24-7, so cleaning up the spaces now, will definitely pay off. Properties typically take about an hour and thirty minutes depending on your chosen ordered package. Seller if you have special features of your home you would like photographed, let your agent know so we can get a heads up to the photographer.

We will not: move furniture, pick up clutter, garbage, clean or dust, or wait for the house to be cleaned. Both indoors and outdoors will be featured in your tour. The photographer, videographer, and/or drone pilot have more than your property to shoot for the day so time spent at your location is very important but yet limited based on the package. Having your property prepared is vital to the success of the shoot and the time spent. Please, to avoid any additional fees have your property prepared, we truly appreciate it and we hate to charge unnecessary additional fees. Below are tips to help you, help us!

Outdoors

Spruce up your garden and lawn; trim shrubbery if necessary.
The yard and patio should be neat; outdoor furniture should be in good shape.
Mow the lawn; assure driveway & entryways are free of clutter (toys, bikes, etc.)
Winter - keep the sidewalks cleared of snow.
Remove vehicles from the driveway and don’t park directly in front of the house

Lighting

Double-check all light bulbs are working
Ensure bulbs in light fixtures are all the same color
Turn on as many lights beforehand as you can
Turn off all fans beforehand.

Living Area

Remove clutter and tidy up the shelves.
Move excess furniture out of rooms.
You want space clean, open, and clutter-free (dog crates, tray tables, etc.).
Turn off Televisions and hide the remote control.
Replace burnt-out light bulbs (the photographer will need light in most rooms).

Bathrooms

Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored away.
Close the toilet lid and empty the garbage.
Clean mirrors & glass surfaces.
Hang towels neatly from the towel bar.

Kitchen

Clean off kitchen counters; remove any clutter.
Make sure dirty/clean dishes are out of the sink & put away.
Empty the garbage can.
Remove items posted on the fridge.
Remove dish towels from the oven, cabinets, and sink.

Overall/General:

Check the basics around the house (indoors & out). It takes just a minute to make sure the house is clutter-free and all is in order.
Turn on as many lights as you can when the photographer arrives.
Try not to be in the room with the photographer while photographing as you may end up in the photo and cause a reshoot.

The Photographer Cannot

Move furniture
Clean or dust
Move garbage
Pick up/move clutter (toys, dirty dishes, dog toys, etc.)

The home MUST be ready for the photographer when he/she arrives and remove all clutter. Upon arrival, our photographers can wait no longer than 10 minutes for additional home preparations. If a wait longer than this must happen we will have to move on to our next scheduled appointment and the virtual tour will be rescheduled. If this happens a rescheduling fee of $25.00 will apply. We also ask that you allow the photographer space to photograph, constantly having to stop or ask you to move from the shot could result in additional fees. Please be courteous and remember the photographer has additional homes to photograph and being held up for their next appointment will result in additional fees. All additional fees must be paid before the release of any photos, tours, videos, or drone shoots

If you have any questions or comments, please contact us by phone or e-mail.