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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think not putting kitchen photos on selling particulars would put viewers off?

346 replies

Blankspacehere · 13/05/2023 11:26

Unfortunately, I'm not willing to put photos of my kitchen online.

But we're looking to move house, so just pondering through the process.

I'm concerned that not putting the kitchen photos in the particulars may put off buyers.

It's a nice house, couple of estate agents have viewed abd said that it should sell quickly as it's a desirable type and location.

Would I be reducing potential buyers?

Yabu - yes of course you will be limiting your audience.

Yabu - people will come based on the photos of rest of house and the written blurb on the kitchen.

OP posts:
CabernetSauvignon · 13/05/2023 17:43

Dustyourselfoff · 13/05/2023 14:51

I can’t understand why

a) you don’t name the old company given you have proof of their admission of liability

and

b) why the heck you didn’t pursue this legally. The fact they changed ownership is not an obstacle. Otherwise this tactic would be employed by all cowboys!

If the old company is dead and defunct with no assets, all OP would achieve by suing them is spending yet more money and ending up with a totally unenforceable judgment.

The fact that they changed ownership is certainly an obstacle if they started up as a new company. The new company is a separate legal entity and doesn't take on the debts of the old.

There are ways of looking behind this tactic where it is used for fraudulent evasion of debts, but it's expensive and complex and still relatively easy to evade, unfortunately.

Dustyourselfoff · 13/05/2023 17:47

Yes but as the Op says… very evident that same. They are using same photos, new owner very close to old.

if Hmrc detect that the liquidation of a company has been to escape liabilities and start afresh… very serious consequences.

Sererus · 13/05/2023 17:48

We recently sold - people are VERY interested in the kitchen, from our experience. It's one of the things we've spent most time deliberating over with our new house as well - how old is the kitchen, is anything integrated, is it big enough, etc.
We did skip viewing a few houses with minimal photos that didn't include the kitchen - we assumed there was a reason they didn't want photos of every room online so avoided the hassle of going to view as the assumption is the room not pictured is in too bad a state to put online.

Lcb123 · 13/05/2023 17:49

Can’t imagine why. And I’d be highly suspicious as a buyer.

JenWillsiam · 13/05/2023 18:07

Blankspacehere · 13/05/2023 14:29

Really not emotionally attached to the kitchen though it has caused severe emotional strain.

Fuckit.

We paid a lot of money for a kitchen in Spring 2018.

Delivered December 2018 and it was 60% incorrect - kitchen company errors, Almost all admitted in first email on our alerting email.

They then went incommmunicado after that point.

We were without a kitchen (bar sink) for 36 months.

We tried to start the court process but they "changed ownership" but carried on trading almost as before but still wouldn't take our phone calls etc.

It cost us £12,000 to get the kitchen finished.

This cost we paid to the company was around £32,000.

We are left with a kitchen that everyone thinks is incredible but has left a bitter taste in our mouths abd a hole in our wallets.

The company use photos of previous customers as marketing in their website and social media.

I am unwilling to put photos of my kitchen online as I do not want them to have the opportunity to snatch photos and benefit in one tiny way from them.

It nearly broke us as a couple, I ended up At the GP bring prescribed anti-depressants.

There you go MN.

Outting and emotional.

Show quote history

If they wanted to use pictures of your kitchen they will have them. You’re being ridiculous.

Original poster
Blankspacehere · 13/05/2023 18:08

Lcb123 · 13/05/2023 17:49

Can’t imagine why. And I’d be highly suspicious as a buyer.

Wouldn't sell to you, mate.

OP posts:
Original poster
Blankspacehere · 13/05/2023 18:09

@JenWillsiam why would they have photos? Confused

OP posts:
hollyivysaurus · 13/05/2023 18:09

When we viewed our house there were no pictures of the bedroom on the listing and I was really skeptical about what they could be hiding. There were no issues, two of them were a good size and I still can’t work out why they didn’t photograph them! I suspect some people didn’t view based on that, so definitely do include the kitchen. The watermark someone suggested is a good idea!

monsteramunch · 13/05/2023 18:10

@JenWillsiam

If they wanted to use pictures of your kitchen they will have them. You’re being ridiculous.

My understanding is that their shoddy work had to be fixed by someone else, so the final lovely kitchen isn't something the cowboys would have seen, but OP is worried they'd take credit for.

I definitely think a watermark is the way forward. Sorry you've had this happen OP, it sounds really stressful.

Blondeshavemorefun · 13/05/2023 18:13

monsteramunch · 13/05/2023 18:10

@JenWillsiam

If they wanted to use pictures of your kitchen they will have them. You’re being ridiculous.

My understanding is that their shoddy work had to be fixed by someone else, so the final lovely kitchen isn't something the cowboys would have seen, but OP is worried they'd take credit for.

I definitely think a watermark is the way forward. Sorry you've had this happen OP, it sounds really stressful.

Plus if someone else did finish it then they can't claim it's their work so. Ant use them on their website

PickAChew · 13/05/2023 18:13

You’ve had a rough ride and I don’t blame you for not trusting them. Watermarking is a great idea. I’d suggest with an image of 🖕but that might put customers off, too.

BaskeyDownSoeMa · 13/05/2023 18:16

@Blankspacehere we were shafted by a kitchen fitter and everyone says how lovely my kitchen is and I tell them what an absolute arsehole the fitter was, I remain factual and he has lost potential customers by behaving the way he did. It does leave a bitter taste in your mouth. Luckily the rest of the extension build was a dream.

I think definitely add photos of your kitchen, make the best from the worst. Honestly as this is still a bitter experience for you I would report them to HMRC for their phoenixing their company. If you still have the old company website details you can put them into the Wayback machine and hopefully it has a snapshot of the website from when it was active. If you can see the same photos on both the "new" company and the old one, submit this to HMRC along with details that several of you tried to sue and you believe they folded to avoid their liabilities.

Good luck with the house move.

https://archive.org/web/

Internet Archive: Wayback Machine

https://archive.org/web

Dustyourselfoff · 13/05/2023 18:17

The company wouldn’t have gone through all of that to avoid completing 40% of one customer’s orders

so presumably many clients let down. And many aware of this “new “ but not new company.

MysteryBelle · 13/05/2023 18:21

Normally that would be unacceptable. With the context you’ve given though, I think I agree with you. Good luck 🏠

Princessfuckingpeach · 13/05/2023 18:23

Hello @Blankspacehere

I just wanted to send solidarity. I experienced something really atrocious with a builder once who not only fucked my kitchen, cost me as a single parent in my early 20s over 6k but also plastered my cat into a wall and I had to come home and take the fucking wall down.

You obviously had more stress and money wasted but I know how much it leaves a taste in your mouth, I also never enjoyed my new kitchen when it was all done.

Good luck moving!

Lemon1111 · 13/05/2023 18:48

Ask the EA to put a watermark of their name over the kitchen photos. If I saw a photo with a watermark I’d think the EA doesn’t want other agents using their photos. This way the cowboy can’t use them for promotional use :)

NotMeNoNo · 13/05/2023 18:50

What an awful situation. Speak to the agent about watermarking photos. Also you could leave a bit of clutter in the kitchen so it doesn't look too staged - big plastic high chair etc and would be hard to use. Buyers might just think the photos are poor and blame the estate agent but will still see the kitchen.

NIparty · 13/05/2023 18:58

Princessfuckingpeach · 13/05/2023 18:23

Hello @Blankspacehere

I just wanted to send solidarity. I experienced something really atrocious with a builder once who not only fucked my kitchen, cost me as a single parent in my early 20s over 6k but also plastered my cat into a wall and I had to come home and take the fucking wall down.

You obviously had more stress and money wasted but I know how much it leaves a taste in your mouth, I also never enjoyed my new kitchen when it was all done.

Good luck moving!

That is horrendous!! 😮

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 13/05/2023 19:04

Blankspacehere · 13/05/2023 14:59

Company went into liquidation.

There was nothing we could do.

The new company uses all the old company's social media posts.

The website is practically the same.

The new MD has links to the old MD.

Believe me we did what we could, we're not naive- we didn't just shrug our shoulders, sat with a unfitted kitchen for three years, nearly got divorced, and threw away £12,000 extra.

Show quote history

What an awful situation, @Blankspacehere - and I understand completely why you don’t want the bastard kitchen fitter to be able to use any photos on his website.

I hope you can find a solution that enables you to market your property - I am guessing you are keen for a fresh start, to draw a line under the kitchen fiasco.

RunningRunningRunningRunningRunning · 13/05/2023 19:38

ThatFraggle · 13/05/2023 11:46

If you've got a full sized nude fresco of yourself just cover it up with a cloth wall hanging.

We once viewed a house where the occupant had a naked pic of his wife above the bed (that wasn't removed for viewings), he also had a gun on display too. Neither were in the rightmove pictures oddly 🤣. There were other weird things about the house too. Funnily we didn't meet the wife 🤔😬.

Pipsquiggle · 13/05/2023 19:40

Sounds like you have had a shit time, however, it's not a good enough reason to omit kitchen photos - especially if it's stunning. With kindness, it's only the bastard kitchen maker who MAY notice it but he would be bloody stupid to use it for the new business.

There are simple measures you can make eg. Copyright &/or watermark.

Good luck and may the bad experience turn into a great sale so you can get another lovely property

Dixiechickonhols · 13/05/2023 20:24

Just ask estate agent to watermark the kitchen pics with estate agents name if you are worried about them taking the pictures.

JenWillsiam · 13/05/2023 21:33

Blankspacehere · 13/05/2023 18:09

@JenWillsiam why would they have photos? Confused

Because they took some.

JenWillsiam · 13/05/2023 21:34

monsteramunch · 13/05/2023 18:10

@JenWillsiam

If they wanted to use pictures of your kitchen they will have them. You’re being ridiculous.

My understanding is that their shoddy work had to be fixed by someone else, so the final lovely kitchen isn't something the cowboys would have seen, but OP is worried they'd take credit for.

I definitely think a watermark is the way forward. Sorry you've had this happen OP, it sounds really stressful.

Images stolen from a sight will be low quality and useless. But furthermore who cares? Like get over it.

BadNomad · 13/05/2023 21:45

The thing is, as soon as you sell your house, you'll have no control over the kitchen anyway. The new buyers could list it for rent right away with kitchen photos in the listing. There won't be a thing you can do about it. So really you're just harming your own chances of finding a good buying.

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