Half an hour on the morning, and a couple of small jobs the day before, make more difference to a set of photographs than almost anything we do on the day. Start with the six things that matter most. The rest is here if you have time for it.
A buyer scrolling a portal gives each listing a second or two. In that time they read light, space and order — not detail. A car on the drive hides the elevation. A crowded worktop makes a generous kitchen look small. A closed blind turns a bright room grey.
None of it is about the home being spotless. It is about the camera seeing the house rather than the life being lived in it.
And none of it has to be perfect. The house is lived in, and buyers know that — a home that looks staged and sterile sells no better than one that looks a little busy. Work down the list as far as you get in the time you have. Whatever is still out when we arrive we will shoot around, move, or edit afterwards. Nobody is marking you on it.
A listing is seen by everyone — buyers, neighbours, and people with no intention of viewing. Every photograph, film and tour is checked before it leaves us, and anything that identifies the occupants, exposes what is in the house or puts the property at risk is removed or blurred as standard. You do not have to ask.
Editing is reliable, but putting something away is better still — it keeps it out of the frame entirely, and out of any behind‑the‑scenes shot or 360° tour where a reflection can appear in a mirror or window.
Tell us on the day about anything that must not appear and we will work around it — a room, a wall, a single shelf. Full detail is in our privacy practice.
Most shoots include aerials. They are the quickest way to show a plot, a setting and what lies beyond the boundary — and they are the part of the day most often moved, almost always for one of two reasons: who is next door, and the weather.
What a drone may legally fly over depends on the aircraft — our lighter drones are permitted over people where heavier ones are not. Schools are a separate question, and not really a regulatory one.
Flying close to or above a school while children are there raises obvious privacy and safeguarding concerns, whatever the aircraft allows. So we plan aerials near a school for a time when the site is empty, and we would rather move a shoot than put a camera over a playground.
Rain and wind stop different parts of the day, which is why a wet morning rarely means losing the whole visit.
Exterior photography and the drone both come off in rain — wet elevations, grey skies and a soaked garden do a house no favours, and water on the lens is not something editing fixes.
Interiors, the floor plan and the 360° tour all carry on as normal. If the forecast looks poor we will usually speak the day before and move the outside work alone, rather than the whole shoot.
Strong wind grounds the aerials. Nothing else is affected — photography, floor plan, tour and video all go ahead exactly as planned.
We come back for the aerials on the next suitable day, and the rest of the set is delivered on the usual timescale in the meantime.
| Property | Photos & floor plan | Photos, floor plan, drone, 360° tour & video |
|---|---|---|
| 3 bedrooms | 30 minutes | 1 hour 15 minutes |
| 4–5 bedrooms | 50 minutes | 1 hour 30 minutes |
| 6 bedrooms + | From 1 hour 30 minutes | From 2 hours |
Times are on site, from arriving to packing up. Larger plots, tricky light or difficult access can add to them — if a property is likely to run long we will say so when you book, rather than on the day.
Lights on throughout, including lamps — it warms the rooms and evens out the light. Unlock everything. A floor plan has to take in the garage, loft room, en-suites and any outbuilding, and a room we cannot get into is a room that cannot go on the plan.
We move steadily from room to room, so it helps if people and pets can be in a part of the house we are not shooting. Timings are below.
We will move the odd chair or lamp to open up a view, and put everything back. If something must not be moved or photographed, tell us at the start.
Images are edited, named and sized for portals, brochures and social, and delivered back to the agent — typically within twelve hours.
Things come up. A vendor is unwell, a sale moves, the house simply is not ready. There is no charge for rearranging and no awkward conversation about it — we would far rather move a visit than photograph a home before it is ready to be seen.
All we ask is as much notice as you can manage. A day or two lets us offer the slot to someone else and find you a new one quickly, usually the same week. An hour’s notice tends to mean a wasted morning at our end and a longer wait at yours.
Vendors prepare far better from a list than from a phone call. Forward the link, or print it and leave it at the valuation.
Who will be there, whether there is somewhere to park, and whether we can get into every space — garage, loft room, outbuildings and any room used for storage. A locked door means an incomplete floor plan and a second visit.
Tenanted homes need more notice and a little more flexibility.
Schools nearby, restricted airspace, scaffolding, building work next door, a room that cannot be shown. All of it is manageable with notice and awkward without.
Tell us about the property and when you would like it photographed. We will confirm a time and a fixed price, usually the same day.
Book a shoot