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

[caffelattetogo]

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?

It is the vendor's job to tidy the house. In this case, a relative. If they want the best price, then clear the house and 'stage' it, etc.
Hire cleaners, etc
if the elderly person has gone into a Care Home, then I presume the proceeds from the sale will be used to pay for her care.
Even if you live at a distance, I would expect (in this case a relative), to travel, possibly to sort through important papers, etc, and then hire a clearance - see the other thread.
We had to do this for my elderly mother when she went into a Care Home.

Not EA's job but family could have organised a cleaner before having photos taken.

He really should have got a professional cleaner and put in some personal effort

You can't expect an EA to do it. Although, perhaps its a service they could offer. At a price naturally....

I know what you mean OP. I feel really sorry when I see the photos of some places where it’s obvious it’s been an elderly infirm person’s home.

Whoever asked them to go in should have done all that first.

It’s the home owners responsibility. If they want to present it as a mess then that’s on them. It’s not go to the photographer to fix.

Absolutely not! They are photographers not cleaners. Totally the responsibility of the seller.

You should go and clean it now. Your friend is embarrassed. Go tomorrow or this weekend and tidy it up. Preferably tomorrow, or Friday.

EAs are obliged to leave the house as they found it. So if the owner leaves the door open, they have to leave it like that. I imagine they’d contact the owner to request permission to close it though.

Of course the responsibility for cleaning and tidying lies with the owner of the property, or their representatives.

Perhaps the relatives don’t greatly care what price is achieved if it’ll all go on care home fees anyway. Not their circus not their monkeys etc. 🤷‍♀️

I'm often surprised that the owners haven't done really quick and basic things to make it look a bit better, but I wouldn't usually expect the estate agent or photographer to do it.
a) they don't have much time
b) they could get accused of breaking or stealing something if they started arranging things
c) I wouldn't really like some random stranger rummaging around my drawers and cupboards to tidy stuff up
d) some people's homes are such a state a quick 'tidy up' wouldn't make the blindest bit of difference!

However I did see a listing the other day where there was a rubbish wrapper just underneath the sofa - the angle the photo was taken at made it likely the owner might just have missed it as the room was otherwise very tidy - tbh ideally I would have expected the photographer to have noticed that as they were setting up the shot and quickly picked it up - while nobody is going to not buy the house because of one wrapper it was pretty obvious and one of the first things I noticed about the photo so a bit of a shame as the room was very nice.

So minor things like that, or, for example, asking the owner "is it okay if I open the shades?" to let some light in, rather than photograph a dark and gloomy room (another example I saw and thought was weird), fine, but wouldn't expect the estate agent to do anything above and beyond.

Some homes are being occupied by tenants who are being kind and reasonable enough by having their home entered, they aren't going to want photographers touching their stuff.

When we sold our house 6 years ago, I tidied and cleaned beforehand, and also got the kids to scurry around basically moving ANYTHING small (that wasn't a vase of flowers) out of each room in advance of the photographer. So that the rooms looked really uncluttered.

The photographer commented on how great this was, because often clients expected him to "stage" a room himself. I was shocked because I think that expectation is bang out of order. The photographer was very young, though, and I suspect was getting a bit exploited in his first job. He took excellent photos.

I am an agent and not only do I move things around so they do not show in photos, I also bring in decor to make it look more attractive. All with the agreement of the owner, of course.

like straighten up an unmade bed or move a bag of rubbish while being paid to take photos for a house listing?

You are being so unreasonable.

Decent estate agent use photography who move things about to show the space at Ira best but they should never be expected to make beds or move rubbish!

I have a large eiderdown which I sometimes throw over the top of the bed!

It’s really not their job. I’m sure there are people who come and stage properties for photos. Possibly not considered a worthwhile investment. If they are going into care anyway then house money will quickly disappear in fees. It makes little difference it they get an extra couple of k as well presented.

A friends house is on the market and there's a couple of things where I think they definitely could have straightened things up. Like a cushion that has fallen over on the bed and curtain bunched up on the radiator.

It may not be their job to sort it but it surely is their job to point out it should be sorted before photos are taken. If they get no viewings because the house isn't dressed well/photographed well then they won't sell the house. That's literally the job they do.

I'm not sure how an Estate Agent would approach something like this, maybe they could open the curtains?

Photo must have fallen off, maybe under the settee by now...

I do have a key (the lady gave it to me years ago in case of emergency) but I don't think this really qualifies. It would have been a 5 minute job - just moving the bag off the counter, making the bed, taking the washing off the airer etc. but I appreciate I am being unreasonable.

Some people do. A colleague of mine has just told her 30 year old daughter off for letting her house be photographed looking like a tip. She showed us the listing. Toys everywhere, shopping out on the kitchen work surfaces, clothes not put away in the bedrooms. Apparently it’s no big deal because it’s aimed at first time buyers and her DH said they’ll buy anything…

Houses like this will probably be probate sales or ex hoarder homes reclaimed under the empty home schemes.