How to prepare your Airbnb for a photoshoot

The night before

• Clean like a guest is arriving. Streak-free glass, benches clear, no dust on dark surfaces.
• Wash and iron the bed linen. White or neutral photographs best.
• Replace any blown light bulbs and make sure all bulbs in a room are the same colour temperature. Mixed warm and cool light is the single most common thing we have to fix in editing.
• Put away anything you wouldn't want in a magazine: bins, cleaning products, chargers, personal photos, pet bowls, the dish rack.

Morning of the shoot

• Open every blind and curtain fully. Turn on every light, including lamps and rangehood lights.
• Make every bed hotel-style: sheets tucked, duvet smooth, pillows stacked and karate-chopped if that's your thing. Remove the folded towels from the bed; put them in the bathroom.
• Kitchen: clear the benches except for one or two deliberate items (coffee machine, fruit bowl, a bottle and two glasses). Hide the kettle cord. Close all cupboards and drawers.
• Bathroom: toilet lid down, fresh towels hung or folded, toiletries either hidden or arranged. Remove the bath mat unless it's new.
• Living: cushions plumped and symmetrical, throw folded, remote controls out of sight, TV off. Rug straightened.
• Outdoors: furniture set as if for use, cushions out, no bins or hoses visible. Sweep the entry.
• Cars out of the driveway and off the street in front if you can arrange it.

Small things that make big photos

• A single plant or a vase of greenery in the main living space.
• Set the dining table for two with plain plates and glasses.
• Open internal doors so rooms connect and the place feels bigger.
• Fresh fruit in a bowl, a book on the bedside table. Styling, not clutter.
• If there's a view, clean the window it comes through.

What you don't need to worry about

• The weather. Interiors shoot fine on grey days with flash blending, and exterior skies are replaced in editing. If the exterior needs real blue sky we come back within 7 days at no charge.
• Being there. Most shoots are done with a lockbox code and the host elsewhere.
• Furniture that is slightly off-angle. We straighten verticals and composition in-camera.

Timing

Mid-morning to early afternoon gives the most even light inside. For a west-facing balcony or living room, late afternoon. Tell us which way the main windows face when you book and we'll pick the slot.