Yeah, I totally get what you mean about thinking you’ll remember which photo is which—been there, done that, and ended up scrolling through a sea of identical-looking studs and pipes. Renaming right away is a solid habit. I still slip up and have random “IMG” files too, but honestly, progress over perfection. Sometimes I’ll just voice-note myself if I’m in a rush and sort it out later. As long as you can find what you need when you need it, you’re ahead of the game.
Honestly, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve walked into a property thinking I’d remember which wall had the weird wiring or where the leak was, only to end up scrolling through a hundred nearly identical photos. Renaming on the spot is great in theory, but half the time I’m juggling calls or dealing with contractors and just snap and go. What’s helped me is snapping a quick pic of a notepad with the address or room name before I start—kind of old school, but it keeps things straight when I’m reviewing later. Tried voice notes too, but then I forget to listen back... At the end of the day, as long as you can track down what you need without losing your mind, that’s a win in my book.
What’s helped me is snapping a quick pic of a notepad with the address or room name before I start—kind of old school, but it keeps things straight when I’m reviewing later.
I totally get the appeal of the notepad trick. There’s something about pen and paper that just makes things stick in your brain better. But honestly, I tried that for my first walkthrough and ended up with a bunch of blurry shots of my own handwriting—couldn’t even tell if it said “bathroom” or “bedroom” half the time. Maybe my handwriting’s just that bad.
What’s been working for me lately is using colored sticky notes. I slap a neon pink one on the wall with the weird wiring, snap a photo, then move it to the next spot. It’s not exactly high-tech, but when you’re scrolling through your camera roll later, those bright colors jump out way more than another shot of beige drywall. Plus, you don’t have to stop and write anything down in the middle of chaos.
I hear you on voice notes too. In theory, they sound like a lifesaver, but who actually goes back and listens to them? By the time I remember, I’ve already moved on to five other problems.
Honestly, though, I think part of it is just accepting that renovation is messy—mentally and physically. You can try every system in the world and still end up with some chaos. The trick is finding whatever little hack helps you keep your sanity. For me, it’s color coding and sometimes just drawing a quick sketch on my phone if something’s really complicated.
At the end of the day, as long as you’re not losing sleep over which wall had the mystery pipe sticking out, you’re probably doing better than most.
But honestly, I tried that for my first walkthrough and ended up with a bunch of blurry shots of my own handwriting—couldn’t even tell if it said “bathroom” or “bedroom” half the time. ...
That sticky note idea is genius. I tried the notepad thing too and ended up with a bunch of photos that looked like ransom notes—my handwriting is just not up for the job. The color coding makes so much sense, especially when you’re scrolling through a sea of drywall pics. One thing I’ve started doing is using my phone’s markup tool to circle stuff right on the photo, or add a quick label. It’s not perfect, but it helps when I’m trying to remember if “that weird pipe” was in the kitchen or the laundry room. Renovation chaos is real, but these little tricks do help keep it (sort of) under control.
Honestly, the sticky note thing never worked for me—half the time they’d fall off or get stuck to my shoe. What’s saved my sanity is snapping wide shots and then using an app to add digital sticky notes. Less waste, easier to read, and no more guessing if that’s the main water line or just a random conduit. Renovation mess is bad enough without chasing paper scraps around...
