Real Estate Camera
Declutter the room before you take the photo. A room that is genuinely clutter-free needs no label, and there is no risk of editing errors. For the few things you miss, such as a cable or a bottle of soap, your phone's built-in eraser can do the job for free. For a room full of items you cannot move, use a decluttering app for listing photos or an editing service, and label the photo. Never erase damage. Platforms such as Stellar MLS prohibit this outright.
This guide is about clutter: the small items that make a room look busy. To clear an entire room of furniture, see removing furniture from photos.
What should you declutter before taking listing photos?
Zillow's seller guide says "there's nothing worse in property photos than clutter." Its list covers kitchen worktops, bathroom items, cables and wires, remote controls and post, followed by family photos, fridge magnets, toys, pet equipment and holiday decorations. Here is the list room by room, with a few additions of my own:
| Room | Take out | Leave |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | Small appliances, a drying rack, sponges, soap, magnets, kitchen roll, a knife block, post | One bowl of fruit or a plant |
| Bathroom | Toothbrushes, razors, bottles, bath mats, bathroom scales, rubbish bin, toilet plunger | A folded towel, one plant |
| Living room | Remote controls, cables, stacks of books and post, throws piled on the sofa, pet beds | A few cushions, one throw folded |
| Bedrooms | Clothes, washing baskets, chargers, everything on bedside tables, anything visible under the bed | Made bed, one lamp on each side |
| Children's rooms | Toys on the floor, names displayed on the wall, school photographs | A few toys on a shelf |
| Exterior | Cars, bins, hoses, toys, the estate agent's sign | Potted plants by the door |
On some platforms, the estate agent's sign is not a matter of taste. Realcomp in Michigan does not allow estate agent signs in any listing photo. Check your own MLS before the shoot.
Send the seller this list a day in advance. A seller who declutters the property the night before saves you more editing time than any app.
What to do with clutter you can't move
Sometimes the seller is still living there, the garage is full of boxes, or you're shooting at ten minutes' notice. Three ways to tidy up the photo without Photoshop:
Your phone's built-in eraser
Free, and good for one or two small things per photo: a cable across the floor, a toothbrush, a rubbish bin. On iPhone, Apple's Clean Up in the Photos app removes distracting objects. Apple's requirements page lists iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, plus iPads with A17 Pro or M1 and later. Android phones have their own versions in their photo apps.
They struggle with big items and busy backgrounds. Erasing a washing basket in front of a patterned rug often leaves a smudge where the pattern should be. Zoom in before you save.
A human editing service
BoxBrownie charges $4 for minor item removal and $8 for standard removal, with a 24-hour turnaround, as of September 2026. A person does the work, so tricky floors come out cleaner. You wait a day.
A listing declutter app
Built to clear a room rather than one object. Real Estate Camera (ours) has Declutter at 2 credits a photo, 20 to 60 seconds, about $0.67 to $1.00 depending on the pack. Failed edits refund automatically. It removes furniture and clutter together, so it suits a busy room better than a single stray item. For a single cable, the phone eraser is faster and free.
Do you have to disclose decluttered photos?
Often, yes, even though the room looks plainer rather than fancier.
- California. AB 723 covers images altered "to add, remove, or change elements." Its exemptions are adjustments like lighting, colour, cropping and exposure. Erasing objects isn't among them, so label the photo and link the original.
- Your MLS. CRMLS defines digitally altered images to include removing decor, and wants the original right before or after. Other boards differ. See MLS rules.
- Everywhere else. "Some items digitally removed" in the caption costs nothing. Disclosure wording has templates for decluttered photos.
Physically clearing the room avoids all of that. It's one more reason to do the work before you shoot.
What you must never erase
Clutter belongs to the seller. Damage belongs to the house. Stellar MLS bans the removal of "negative visual elements", such as "holes in the wall, exposed wiring, damaged flooring". NC REALTORS says it would be inappropriate to use Photoshop to remove defects or "eyesores" inside or outside the home. So leave these alone:
- Stains, cracks, water marks and scuffed floors
- Power lines, poles, the neighbour's house or a busy road
- Anything included with the property: light fittings, appliances, built-in units
Eraser tools can't tell the difference between a sock and a stain, so check every edit against the original. What's allowed in listing edits explains where that line lies in more detail, while the guide to listing photo mistakes covers the small things buyers notice anyway.
To find out how Declutter works in our app, see removing furniture from listing photos.
Try Declutter on the one room the seller couldn't clear. Start free: 1 credit.
Questions
How do I declutter listing photos without Photoshop?
Clear the room before you take the photos, as this needs no label. For small remaining items, such as a cable or a toothbrush, use your phone's built-in eraser, such as Clean Up on supported iPhones. For a room full of furniture, use a decluttering app for listing photos or a professional editing service. Label any photo from which you have removed an item.
What should I remove before taking listing photos?
Remove everything from the kitchen worktops except for one or two items, along with bathroom toiletries, cables, remote controls, post, fridge magnets, family photos, toys, pet bowls and beds, rubbish bins and seasonal decorations. Zillow's seller guide lists most of these.
Do I have to disclose that I removed clutter from a photo?
In California, you probably do: AB 723 applies to images altered to remove elements and exempts only adjustments such as exposure and colour. Some MLSs also require labels for any digitally altered image. Removing damage, such as a stain or a crack, is prohibited outright on platforms such as Stellar MLS.
How much does it cost to remove clutter from a property photo?
As of September 2026, BoxBrownie charges $4 for minor item removal and $8 for standard removal, with a 24-hour turnaround for each. Phone erasers are free. Real Estate Camera's Declutter costs 2 credits, about $0.67 to $1.00.
