Estate agents photos - any experience?

[Shopperholic]

I read an article recently to make the most of your garden. Supposedly, people are more interested in lovely gardens since the pandemic. So they suggested several photos of the best parts of your garden should be shown. Whilst previously buyers wanted lovely kitchens. No idea if this is correct but makes sense.

[catherinesian]

We put our house on the market first week in August and sold after 8 viewings in 10 days.

I wouldn't say our house is cluttered but then again I wouldn't say it was totally clutter free. We live here so there is our stuff and I did tidy up but didn't remove everything. I don't think it put buyers off. I'd put a link up to the RM ad but I don't want to broadcast where I live on a public forum

The EA didn't take photos of every room, I presume because it gives viewers a surprise when they are viewing (hopefully a good one).

[tspill]

When we sold our main house a couple of years ago, the agent told us to remove all clutter - not just for photos but for viewings.
When the photographer then came out, he staged every room - moving stuff around to get the best photos.

[BevS97]

We are not especially tidy generally and struggle with clutter. But for house viewings and photos it is spotless. We hide things, laundry baskets in the boot of the car for example. And nothing on the surfaces other than a few specific ornaments.

I would have the toaster and kettle out but nothing else.

Remember you aren’t selling reality. You are selling a dream. People might not have a clutter free life but they want to believe they can.

[Tracyjj0]

We weren’t ready to sell, but fell in love with a house in my old home town and rushed our property onto the market a couple of weeks ago. We had 3 agents round to value and when the one we instructed came back, 3 days later, to do the photos, he couldn’t believe how different our house looked. We totally blitzed the place, massively de-cluttered and bought some new bedding and towels to freshen it up. My husband thinks I’m bonkers, as I remove the new bedding between viewings and whip the new towels away, then have a mad dash replacing them and cleaning like a demon before viewings! I’m really pleased with how our photos look, but just hope people aren’t disappointed when they view, as the wide-angled shots make our house look like a palace! Living through the worst bit now, with me constantly snapping at my 3 kids to remove their shoes/clutter. It’s been 17yrs since our last move and I’d forgotten how hideous it is having to keep the place looking perfect all the time! Good luck to all that are “on the market”!

[Blue nose]

Originally Posted by Bellasmummy

I always think there’s a problem if the first picture isn’t the front of the house too.

I can’t even bear the lid being left up let alone if the toilet wasn’t flushed!

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I was coming on to say put the toilet seat down for photos 🤣

I also tried to book them for 3pm in the afternoon when the light was better in my property and made them come back on another day to do a roadside one when it was sunny to make my house look nicer!

Agree on gardens, if you have a patio set put it out, chairs with cushions etc.

Remember you are paying them a lot to sell your property so if you don't like the photos make them redo them.

[Kd0758]

I like seeing some clutter. I don’t want to walk into a house and feel like I’m in an operating room that looks like nobody lives there, stuff like that is what makes a house a home. I can’t picture where our things would go if I can’t see where the previous owner puts theirs.

For our pictures they moved the oven glove and kitchen roll holder - it perplexed me because everyone/most people surely has an oven glove and kitchen roll holder.

Our neighbours have viewed 2 properties where they’ve left the toilet seat up and had lacy underwear hanging around - but the pictures looked spotless.

[123]

Originally Posted by munmun

I think this has developed more through covid, I know our managing agent used it for a flat we rent out when viewings were not aloud.

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We sold (or accepted an offer) ours today after 8 days on market for full asking. Three viewings, three offers.

We had a video, in our town all the agents offer it (for about £350) but since reopening after COVID one has opted to chuck it in to the general package and not alter their fees to include it. This if course means everyone now goes with that agent because you don't want hordes traipsing round the house, but equally you don't want to pay for a video

[Bobbins]

Originally Posted by Bellasmummy

I do like the listings where they have a virtual tour so you get to see everything. I wonder if all estate agents do those? I guess with that you’re more likely to only get viewings from people who are really interested.

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We just had that in late FIL's place that we sold. Put it on the market as soon as the EA lockdown ended and they really pushed it as viewing arrangements were very unclear and they were doing it half-price.

I guess we don't know how many people looked at it and didn't go any further but when the house went on the market three people came the first day to have a look and were each only in the house 20min - so they won't have seen anything that wasn't in the video. They all went on to offer on the house, and come back for second viewings. So I don't feel it added anything in our case.


I'm surprised by people saying the EA didn't give an presentation guidance. Maybe it was because of the restrictions but ours told us the photographer wouldn't be allowed to touch anything and he told us what we needed to do (basically clear absolutely everything you can and put the lights on!).

I was very miffed that one of the bedside lights was on a timer - I put it on manually and it had turned itself off again for the photos!

[Ds4ljs]

We put our house on the market a few weeks ago. We had 3 viewings the next day. It sold at the end of that day above asking price. It was clean, tidy but with a bit of us around as it felt too impersonal. Estate agents photos were great (they have a specialist photographer). Agent also did a video tour. They were strict on who could view only buyers who had sold or had nothing to sell.