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?

here is a demo how to clean!

I think it's part of their job to make small suggestions to improve things like that. Not decor choices or ornaments, but incidental things that can make a room look better or clearly unintentional clutter than can be moved in seconds.

We initially tried to sell our house when we had an 8 month old baby. I'd decluttered and tidied as much as possible, but a few odd bits were on sides from being used during the day and a few items I intended to move for the photos got forgotten because he didn't want me following him as he did the photos. All things that clearly weren't meant to be there and I would have cleared up in an instant if it was pointed out. It was very irritating seeing them in photos.

Yes, I was the one who left them there so ultimately it was my fault. But equally you'd expect a photographer to not just blindly photograph easily solved and clearly unintentional issues. I'd expect a portrait photographer to point out if someone's hair was out of place or they had something on their clothes. I don't see it any differently for a house photographer.

I agree. I used to work in estate agency and if I went to take photos and the house was a mess, I'd either ask the homeowner to move things or do it myself if there was nobody present.

I'm always staggered by the number of photos with bed sheets askew, drying laundry hanging in view etc. No need.

No. They’re not there to tidy up and clean ready for the photos. That’s the homeowner’s job - in this case your neighbour’s relative should have done it.

Time would be their main consideration. The other would be liability for breakages and damages.

A good photographer will ask you to move a towel or something just while they take the photos.
I assume the photographer went round on his own so probably not allowed to touch anything.
Our estate agent was brilliant and gave us tips on dressing our home.

Not their job at all - it would be absolutely inappropriate for them to touch other people’s things, and they don’t get paid for the time that it would take. The agent could make suggestions to the seller but not actually do it for them. At most they could do something very minor such as putting the toilet lid down but nothing beyond that.

I agree with the you OP though it obviously isn't the estate agent/photographer's job to get the hoover out.
Last time I sold a house, it was clean and tidy when the photographer arrived, but he still asked me to move some objects into the hall to make the rooms look their best before taking the photo. Then I had to move the objects out of the hall before he photographed that. The results were fantastic.
I think that whoever took the photos for your friend could at least have straightened the beds and moved dirty clothes and so on out of sight. Poor lady.