PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR MATTERPORT 3D IMAGING

Our Matterport 3D imaging will allow people to experience your home unlike any other medium. The viewer can leisurely "walk through" your home, stopping for a better look anywhere they want. Zoom in close, look up at the ceiling details or down at the floor, its all in the hands of the viewer. The unique Doll House view reveals how the space and different floors interact with each other. This cannot be duplicated by stills, aerials, video or any other method. For vacation rentals, this is a fantastic way for potential renters to see the true potential of your home. For homes for sale that will attract out of town purchasers, there is no better pre-qualification tool available. Read through the below suggestions as a guide to help show off your home to its greatest advantage.

FOLLOW THESE TIPS TO PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR THE BEST RESULTS

GENERAL TIPS FOR ALL AREAS

• Clean the entire home including vacuuming, countertops and windows
• Turn all overhead lights and lamps on 20 minutes before the photographer arrives
• Replace all burned out light bulbs. It really stands out if one is burned out.
• Use bulbs of the same brightness and color (warm -vs- cool)
• Turn all ceiling fans off
• Turn all TV's and computer monitors off
• Make all beds (make the room "guest ready")
• Remove small floor rugs to reveal the actual flooring
• Place all shoes, jackets and backpacks in closets
• It does not work to try and move items from room to room ahead of the photographer. Please have the home ready when the photographer arrives.
• We love our pets too but we need to have the pets removed to a non photographed area like the garage, a neighbors or your car while we are doing the photography.
• As this work is all done indoors, we do not reschedule for weather issues.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM OUR PHOTOGRAPHERS

• We will show up on time. If there is a delay, we will call to advise
• We will treat your home and belongings with respect
• Sometimes we have to adjust the positioning of items due to reflections. We don't rearrange your furniture. Just minor adjustments are sometimes necessary.
• It takes approximately 30 to 40 minutes per 1000 SF to do the photography. So for example, a 3000 SF home would take an hour and a half to two hours.
• The typical scenario is for the homeowner or Agent to meet us at the start of the shoot, make sure everything is ready to go, then leave us to do our work. Once we start the scanning, nothing can move in the home so it works best for us to be alone. If the homeowner does not want to leave, they would need to stay hidden in a room until we are ready for that room or area of the home, then go hide in a different room. It is also common for us simply to be provided a garage code or location of a hidden key and we just take care of everything.
• If we move something we try to put it back, but if you can't find something after we are finished, look in the closest drawer or cupboard.

YOUR KITCHEN. THE FOCAL POINT OF THE HOME

• Clear countertops (no mail, baking/cooking supplies, phone chargers, paper towels)
• Only a couple of small appliances out (ex: coffee maker and toaster)
• Clear refrigerator of all magnets and artwork (front and sides)
• Hide the garbage can in a closet or pantry
• Remove dishes and cleaning supplies from the sink
• Clean the door of the ovens, microwave and dishwasher
• Having some colorful fruit out in a basket is great
• Put your assortment of spices away but it's okay to leave a cookbook out and open on the counter.

DINING ROOM/TABLE

• Clear table, dust and polish the table top
• Use decorative place settings if available
• Feature one center piece such as a bouquet of flowers
• Straighten all chairs and space them evenly
• Remove child seats, booster chairs and high chairs

LIVING ROOM - FAMILY ROOM

• Remove stacks of magazines, papers, mail, etc.
• Declutter fireplace mantel/hearth
• Remove toys
• Clean fireplace glass doors
• Pillows and throws on furniture are nice but not too many
• Remove blankets from couches and chairs
• Turn on all overhead, floor and table lamps

BEDROOMS - A PLACE OF REST

• Make beds guest ready
• Clear nightstands of all personal items
• Hide phone/table chargers and cords
• Remove clutter from top of dressers
• Clean under the bed as we can often see underneath
• Declutter as best as you can
• Limit the number of stuffed animals in kids bedrooms
• Hide clothes hampers
• If you have standard closets, hide things there as we don't open the doors to photograph inside. If you have a large walk in closet, we will typically have the door open to see inside so make sure it looks presentable. If the walk in closet is very large, we will take the camera inside the closet for a view inside so make sure what is visible is not cluttered, looks over-full or display items that you would not want to be seen.

BATHROOMS

• Clean countertops completely (no soap, toothbrushes, makeup, medications, etc.)
• Put toilet seats down
• Hide toilet plungers and scrubbers
• Remove shampoo, soap, razors, etc. from the shower/tub areas
• Remove floor mats
• Remove dirty towels
• Remove clothes, robes, etc. from the back of doors
• Clean the mirrors
• Declutter

LAUNDRY-UTILITY ROOMS

• Hide laundry baskets
• Remove soaps, detergent jugs, cleaners, etc. from the countertops
• Remove clothes from hangers, counters, back of doors, etc.
• Remove floor mats.

OUR LOVABLE PETS (great companions but never shown in photographs)

• Hide all food and water dishes
• Hide all chew toys
• Hide pet beds, scratching posts, etc.
• Hide portable kennels
• As mentioned above, please don't have the pets around when we are doing the photography

FINAL OBSERVATIONS

SORRY BUT THERE ARE THINGS WE DO NOT DO

• Move furniture (though we sometimes will adjust angles for composition)
• Make beds, declutter or do cleaning
• Pick up toys or other things mentioned above
• For this type of imaging, there is no retouching possible so if it is visible, it will be seen
• Touch personal bathroom items (toothbrushes, deodorant, towels, etc.)

Our Matterport 3D imaging is a fantastic way to engage viewers allowing them to experience your home by "walking through" at their leisure. We simply want the work we do to show your home to its greatest advantage. The suggestions above are designed to help do just that for you. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.