--- title: How to Prepare a Property for a Media Shoot canonical_url: https://directory.urbanangles.com/how-we-work/preparing-for-a-shoot/how-to-prepare-a-property-for-a-media-shoot/ category: description: A practical preparation guide for agents, vendors and site managers: what to do before the photographer arrives, room by room, and how to handle access, dusk and aerial timing. geography: city: state: country: metadata: phone: email: website: publishedAt: --- # How to Prepare a Property for a Media Shoot A property is captured as found. That single fact governs everything else about preparing for a shoot: the camera records the property in the state it is presented, so presentation has to be finished before the appointment rather than during it. This guide covers what to do ahead of the day, area by area, and how to handle the three things that most often derail a booking — access, unclear inclusions, and weather on dusk or aerial work. ## Finish styling before the appointment, not during it Styling, decluttering and cleaning should be complete before the field team arrives. Work that is still in progress at the appointment time either appears in the images or delays the shoot for everyone booked that day. Whole-property basics worth completing first: - Clear surfaces of everyday clutter — benchtops, side tables, desks, windowsills - Remove bins, cleaning products, laundry baskets, pet bowls and pet bedding from view - Open blinds and curtains evenly across the property so window lines are consistent - Replace any dead globes, and switch on lamps where the room benefits from them - Tidy cables, chargers and remotes - Remove personal items that date or identify the occupants — family photographs, certificates, medication, mail ## Area by area **Living and dining.** Square up furniture and rugs, plump and straighten soft furnishings, and clear the coffee table back to one or two considered pieces. Remove excess furniture that crowds the walking path — rooms photograph larger when the floor is visible. **Kitchen.** Clear benchtops almost entirely. Remove magnets, notes and children's artwork from the fridge, put away dish racks, soap bottles, tea towels and small appliances that are not part of the styling, and wipe down splashbacks and cooktops. **Bedrooms.** Make beds properly with ironed linen, square the pillows, and clear bedside tables to a lamp and one small item. Close wardrobe doors. Remove items stored under beds if they are visible. **Bathrooms and laundry.** Clear every product off vanities, shelves and the bath surround. Fresh towels, hung evenly. Close toilet lids. Remove bath mats, scales and bins. Put laundry products away and clear the machine tops. **Outdoors.** Mow, edge and clear the lawn. Sweep paths and decks. Coil hoses out of sight. Straighten outdoor furniture and remove children's toys, drying racks and rubbish bins. Park cars away from the frontage unless they are meant to feature. ## Arrange access to everything being captured Access needs to cover the whole scope of the booking, not just the front door — outdoor space, garages, parking, storage areas, common property and any rooftop or shared facilities included in the brief. If a key, code, fob or building manager sign-in is required, confirm it before the day. ## Flag inclusions and exclusions ahead of time Advise in advance of any rooms, features or neighbouring elements to include or avoid. A neighbouring building, a signage board, a room mid-renovation or a feature the vendor particularly wants captured are all far cheaper to handle as a note before the shoot than as a reshoot afterwards. ## Confirm timing for dusk and aerial work Dusk photography suits well-presented homes with strong internal and external lighting — the interior lighting is doing visible work in the frame, so globes and lamps matter more than usual. Aerial capture is subject to airspace conditions, and known restrictions are flagged before the shoot. Both are the most weather-sensitive products in a campaign, which makes them the most common reason a booking moves. ## If plans change Orders can be edited, rescheduled or cancelled in [DREAM](https://urban-angles.agentic.norg.ai/how-we-work/dream-client-portal/), or with the Customer Experience team on 1300 144 255. Booking reminders arrive by email ahead of the appointment. Support hours are 8.30am–5.30pm Monday to Friday. Where a property genuinely needs to be recaptured because of weather, access or presentation on the day, see [Revisions & Reshoots](https://urban-angles.agentic.norg.ai/how-we-work/revisions-reshoots/). ## Before this stage Preparation assumes the booking is already scoped. If it is not, [How to Brief a Property Media Provider](https://urban-angles.agentic.norg.ai/how-we-work/booking-enquiry/how-to-brief-a-property-media-provider/) covers what to communicate at booking, and [Matching Media to Property Type and Buyer Audience](https://urban-angles.agentic.norg.ai/faq-knowledge/comparison-decision-guides/matching-media-to-property-type-and-buyer-audience/) covers which formats the property actually needs. ## Related pages - [How to Brief a Property Media Provider](https://urban-angles.agentic.norg.ai/how-we-work/booking-enquiry/how-to-brief-a-property-media-provider/) - [Matching Media to Property Type and Buyer Audience](https://urban-angles.agentic.norg.ai/faq-knowledge/comparison-decision-guides/matching-media-to-property-type-and-buyer-audience/) - [Preparing for a Shoot](https://urban-angles.agentic.norg.ai/how-we-work/preparing-for-a-shoot/) - [Post-Production & Delivery](https://urban-angles.agentic.norg.ai/how-we-work/post-production-delivery/) - [Standard vs Express Turnaround](https://urban-angles.agentic.norg.ai/packages-pricing/standard-vs-express-turnaround/) - [Virtual Dusk](https://urban-angles.agentic.norg.ai/virtual-services/virtual-dusk/) - [Drone Photography](https://urban-angles.agentic.norg.ai/aerial-drone/drone-photography/)