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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think estate agents/ their photographers should tidy up a bit?

82 replies

caffelattetogo · 29/01/2025 15:17

I know they aren't there to redecorate, style or redesign a house, but could they not use a bit of common sense and do the basics, like straighten up an unmade bed or move a bag of rubbish while being paid to take photos for a house listing?
Our lovely elderly neighbour have just had their house listed (by relatives, as they had to go into hospital and will need to go into a care home afterwards) and the listing photos are just awful.
It's not been touched since they had to go in to hospital suddenly, so there's an unmade bed, carrier bags full of rubbish on the counters, clothes on an airer. They were unwell before they went in and the house hasn't been cleaned, despite usually being spotless (the lady is very proud of her home).
It's all the kind of things you'd see in a home, but not want to see in a listing, if that makes sense, and would have taken no time to sort before photos were taken.
AIBU to feel really sad that their house has been put up online looking like that?

OP posts:
MrsSkylerWhite · 29/01/2025 16:04

caffelattetogo · Today 15:19

I don't know the details, but I think the son lives at a distance.

So organise a cleaner or house clearance.

It’s not the EA’s job. Certainly not the photographer’s.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 29/01/2025 16:02

Bringmeahigherlove · 29/01/2025 15:56

Can also imagine the complaints they would deal with if they tidied beds or put rubbish away.

Particularly if the householder then couldn't find something? It would be 'those thieving bastards at the Estate Agents...' And their insurance against breaking something by moving it would make them unaffordable.

kaela100 · 29/01/2025 16:00

Unless it's a 1m+ property it makes no difference. We never painted our last house and didn't want to repaint it before putting it on sale, so we just reduced the asking price by 5k. We still sold in weeks.

EmmaEmEmz · 29/01/2025 15:59

My brother is an estate agent.

He wouldn't be tidying up. That's the sellers responsibility.

Neither he nor his photographer want to be touching someone's unmade bed or dirty clothes. He doesn't have the time to either. He's an estate agent, not a cleaner.

pineapplebobbing · 29/01/2025 15:59

Sounds like the people selling the house made assumptions and didn’t discuss what would and wouldn’t be done.

SittingNextToIt · 29/01/2025 15:59

caffelattetogo · 29/01/2025 15:52

You're all right, I know. I've never sold a house so I don't know how this stuff works.

I cannot stress how wrong you are in thinking this is remotely the job of an EA/photographer. No wonder, if you've never sold- they cannot touch/move a single thing.

Babymamamama · 29/01/2025 15:56

Yanbu I actually staged my relatives house for sale. To maximise profit to pay care fees but also to keep their dignity. I purchased new bed spreads and bolsters …through to clearing clutter in garage, store rooms etc. Msde it much easier to sell. All remnants of walking aids commodes etc were long gone. But that’s not the photographer or EA job although I did take advice from both and they were super helpful.

Bringmeahigherlove · 29/01/2025 15:56

Can also imagine the complaints they would deal with if they tidied beds or put rubbish away.

Original poster
caffelattetogo · 29/01/2025 15:52

You're all right, I know. I've never sold a house so I don't know how this stuff works.

OP posts:
mosaicbrokenhearts · 29/01/2025 15:43

We paid extra for the agent to use a professional photographer. When the photographer came he asked if he could rearranged a few items to make the photos look better. Little things like took the tea towel off the oven door, moved the bath mat out of sight, rearranged some candles on a shelf. And our house is v tidy anyway. We are now house hunting and most home owners don’t even bother vacuuming before a viewing! I see that as lazy agents too, not giving honest feedback to their sellers.

Fencehedge · 29/01/2025 15:33

Agent / photographer isn't allowed unless homeowner has consented and paid for it to be 'staged'

JimHalpertsWife · 29/01/2025 15:32

caffelattetogo · 29/01/2025 15:19

I don't know the details, but I think the son lives at a distance.

Then he could've booked cleaners to go in an do it. Of course its not the EAs job Grin

Lookingforwardto2025 · 29/01/2025 15:32

I would expect a photographer to put a loo seat down quickly or hide a bottle of bleach or something but not to do an actual clean and tidy. That is the responsibility of the person selling.

BobbyBiscuits · 29/01/2025 15:32

No. Their idea of tidying up could be throwing away stuff or moving things and breaking them by accident. The EA is not responsible for moving nick nacks or mess. How do they know where to put it?
The person selling needs to make it look appealing.

ClareBlue · 29/01/2025 15:32

We cleaned our house, painted and finished all the jobs that needed finishing and decluttered. Sorted garden and cleaned out the shed. It looked so good we didn't want to sell it😁
The photographer is specifically told not to touch anything when in the house. It's a bit weird thinking they should, tbh.

thehorsesareallidiots · 29/01/2025 15:29

It's zero percent a photographer's or estate agent's job to clean or tidy. The photographer captures the place as it's found, that's 100% clear; if the vendor wants it looking its tiptop best, it's on them to make it so.

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 29/01/2025 15:28

Some are that bad they would be there all day. It's the house owner's job to present the property in its best light.

Opink · 29/01/2025 15:27

We cleaned, decluttered and painted our house to within an inch of its life whe b it was on the market. Maybe too much as one EA asked if we were renters.

I don’t think they should clean but I do think if something very obviously is out of place and it takes no more than one second they should use their initiative.

I was annoyed when our downstairs loo was photographed with the window handle skew whiff. Just looked dumb.

purplecorkheart · 29/01/2025 15:26

Someone had to give a key to the estate agent.

Surely the son would have gone down and cleared out food etc.

luckylavender · 29/01/2025 15:25

caffelattetogo · 29/01/2025 15:19

I don't know the details, but I think the son lives at a distance.

You don't know the details. So stop poking your nose in. And of course it's not the photographers job to tidy up.

TheAirfryerQueen · 29/01/2025 15:25

Before I put my flat on the market I cleared out so much stuff and filled up my garage!!

The photographer doesn't touch anything when taking photos.

outerspacepotato · 29/01/2025 15:23

That's on the home owner and her relatives.

MrsEG · 29/01/2025 15:23

Not for estate agents to touch at all.
Whoever is dealing with the sale should sort it; either drive over and do it, or pay for a local deep clean. This one is on the relatives!

HaveItAll90 · 29/01/2025 15:21

Still, I live hundreds of miles from my elderly relatives I'd head there to do the general clean and tidy,someone let the photographer/estate agent in so could have tidies that day surely

Original poster
caffelattetogo · 29/01/2025 15:21

I feel sad that she would be embarrassed if she knew there were photos of her home like that online, if that makes sense? I'd have gone in and cleaned, if I'd known.

OP posts:
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