Most of the time, realtors don’t call to schedule photography of a home until construction is complete. But sometimes the builder is so anxious to get the home listed that they just can’t wait. That presents a challenge. How do you shoot a home that’s still under construction? There may be tools laying around, the yard hasn’t been sodded, the sidewalk hasn’t been poured, and the interior is missing the finishing touches (and maybe more).

This is a home I photographed at the south end of Lake Samish that was in the “not quite finished” state.

For the exteriors, I emphasized the parts that were complete and looked good and minimized showing the construction tools that littered the driveway in front of the garage. I moved a bunch of stuff to clean up the site, but there was too much to move everything in the time allotted.

The view from the back deck through the woods to the lakeshore was nice.

Inside, the kitchen wasn’t finished. Most of the cabinets weren’t in and there weren’t any appliances. Even the ceiling lights hadn’t been installed yet. The goal here was to show the feeling of openness in the space and highlight the stained concrete floor (which had radiant heat).

My goal in photographing a not-quite-finished new home is the same as any other house — show it to best advantage so potential buyers can get a feeling for the property before they visit.

Photographed for Kena Brashear at The Muljat Group Realtors.