The quality of your wholesale deal depends directly on the quality of your property documentation. A complete photo set lets you underwrite with confidence, make competitive offers, and send deal packages your buyers actually take seriously. An incomplete photo set forces you to guess, over-buffer, and lose deals you should have won.
Here is every photo you need, grouped by area.
Exterior Photos
- ✓ Front of house from the street (full view)
- ✓ Both side elevations
- ✓ Rear of house
- ✓ Roof from ground level (all sides if possible)
- ✓ Driveway and garage (if present)
- ✓ Any visible exterior damage (siding, foundation, fascia)
- ✓ Yard and landscaping condition
Mechanical Systems
- ✓ HVAC unit, exterior and interior, with data plate visible to show age
- ✓ Electrical panel open, showing breakers and wiring type
- ✓ Water heater with age label visible
- ✓ Any visible plumbing (under sinks, basement pipes)
- ✓ Attic if accessible (insulation, rafters, any signs of leaks)
These are the deal-defining photos. A property with updated mechanicals is a cosmetic flip. A property with failing systems is a full rehab. You cannot tell the difference without these shots, and the difference is often $20,000 to $40,000 in your repair estimate.
Kitchen
- ✓ Full kitchen overview showing layout
- ✓ Cabinets (condition, style, hardware)
- ✓ Countertops
- ✓ Appliances
- ✓ Flooring
- ✓ Ceiling (any water staining?)
- ✓ Under sink plumbing
Bathrooms (Each One)
- ✓ Full bathroom overview
- ✓ Tub or shower (tile condition, caulk, any damage)
- ✓ Vanity and sink
- ✓ Toilet
- ✓ Floor
- ✓ Ceiling (mold, staining)
Living Areas and Bedrooms
- ✓ Living room (floors, walls, windows, ceiling)
- ✓ Dining area
- ✓ Each bedroom (floors, closet, windows)
- ✓ Hallways
- ✓ Staircase if applicable
Basement
- ✓ All four basement walls (looking for cracks, water intrusion, efflorescence)
- ✓ Floor (cracks, water staining, any pooling)
- ✓ Ceiling joists (rot, pest damage)
- ✓ Any finished areas
- ✓ Sump pump if present
Any Damage or Problem Areas
- ✓ Any water staining on ceilings or walls throughout the house
- ✓ Any visible mold
- ✓ Broken windows or doors
- ✓ Fire or smoke damage
- ✓ Any other visible damage regardless of area
Why Most Photo Sets Fall Short
When you ask a seller to text you photos, you get the rooms they are comfortable sharing, shot from whatever angle is easiest. That is almost never the shots you need to underwrite the deal. The mechanical systems, basement, and damage areas are exactly what sellers are least likely to photograph on their own. For tips on how to get them, see how to get interior photos without going inside.
A guided submission process solves this by requiring every section before the submission can be completed. The seller cannot skip the basement or skip the electrical panel. AI validates every photo in real time. You get the complete set you need, every time.
Photos + Video: The Complete Package
Photos give you room-by-room documentation: a static record of condition at a point in time. What they cannot capture is context. The flow between rooms, a seller narrating a roof repair, or a furnace cycling on during the walkthrough all carry information a still frame misses.
That is why SellerSubmit also lets sellers record a 7-minute video walkthrough alongside their photo submission. Photos cover the checklist. Video fills in what photos can't. Together, they give you the most complete picture of a property you can get without visiting it yourself.