Whether someone is scrolling Airbnb, Rightmove or Spare Room, they judge your property in the first two or three images often at thumbnail size, on a phone, in under five seconds. Photography isn’t decoration for a listing. It is the listing.

What professional photography changes

Careful lighting, honest wide angles and considered composition make a property look genuinely inviting and well cared for without misrepresenting it. That combination earns more clicks, better-quality enquiries and, for short-term lets, measurably stronger nightly rates. Misleading photos do the opposite: they win the click and lose the review.

Preparing for a shoot: the 90-minute rule

• Clear every surface you can see from the door, kitchen worktops and bedside tables first.

• Dress beds properly: ironed linen, plumped pillows, a throw for depth.

• Turn on every lamp, open every blind, hide every cable and bin.

• Add one living detail per room, plant, book, bowl of fruit. One, not five.

Ninety focused minutes of preparation is usually the difference between photos that look fine and photos that book. If preparation isn’t your thing, it can be part of the shoot, styling and decluttering included.