Estate agents photos highly deceptive

Is anybody surprised?
Estate agents’ pics are often clearly stretched /distorted to give both interiors and the outside space “kerb” appeal- yes, lure us in.
Fortunately there is Google Earth so you can see for yourself both the aerial view and “street view.”

Is it that much different to willowy, 5’10 size 8 models strutting their stuff in outfits that would look nothing like that on Ms Average?

‘Twas ever thus”.

Don’t they put the dimensions on their adverts? I think they have to round here, plus a houseplan. As far as I know it is a legal requirement but they certainly all do it.

Ask the size of the garden before you go and visit
You know the dimensions you are wanting so be proactive about it I would have thought garden dimension are giving aren’t they most people would need to know if it was too big or too small for them

I am fed up of deception in general.
It is nasty.

Yes, ask before you visit.

To be fair about photos in general, they can never show things exactly.

On Rightmove on the map, click on satellite view, then zoom right in.

I find this gives a very accurate image and also what buildings (gasworks) etc surround the property.

Looking in London the garden length is also written on the floor plan.

My daughter works as administrator for estate agents and assembles the brochures for properties. Vendors often ask for changes in their brochure as they see it before it’s put online or sent out asking to avoid showing a messy neighbours house for instance and wanting retakes of various photos fair enough. One vendor insisted on marketing his house as 4 bedroom when it was described as 3 bed in his brochure my daughter tried to point out the ‘4th’ bedroom was a tiny windowless room in the middle of the house but he insisted it could be a bedroom. Of course prospective buyers were cross when they were shown it.
So it isn’t always the estate agents fault although I’m sure it happens a lot.

nanna8

Don’t they put the dimensions on their adverts? I think they have to round here, plus a houseplan. As far as I know it is a legal requirement but they certainly all do it.

If you look on Rightmove you can see the dimensions of each room usually on the floor plan.
I agree that they take liberties with the pics tho, it may lure some in to view but there’s the disappointment factor once you actually get there, a but counter productive really.

If the house has most of the things on your wish list then don't dismiss it due to photos. Houses have to be viewed and yes, sometimes it is a waste of time but it is the only way you will know for sure.

I once dismissed a house because on the photos the kitchen looked horrible. When the agent perusaded me to view it I was pleasantly surprised to find the kitchen was much better than the photo showed.

I bought the house and spent 7 happy years there!

Good luck with the search.

Calendargirl

Is it that much different to willowy, 5’10 size 8 models strutting their stuff in outfits that would look nothing like that on Ms Average?

‘Twas ever thus”.

Not only are professional models unfeasibly tall and thin but they only look about 15, which they likely are, although I think it may be illegal. But who checks these things?

I haven't seen garden dimensions given on house ads. Room sizes yes but the land is rarely mentioned.
Like you, Bramblewitch I am looking to downsize but have to have a proper garden.

I have 1½ acres at present. I want something smaller than this!

Fairislecable

On Rightmove on the map, click on satellite view, then zoom right in.

I find this gives a very accurate image and also what buildings (gasworks) etc surround the property.

Looking in London the garden length is also written on the floor plan.

I agree with looking at zoom.. it will give you a much clearer idea of the dimensions in proportion to the house. Also ask the estate agent for the exact width and length..

I would have thought the size of the garden would be part of the important information about a place.

How strange.

Ask the questions about anything you are unsure about, that’s what the agents are there for, if they don’t know get them to find out.

We are viewing a property for the second time today, the garden size was on the details.

All agents are clever about the photos, rooms are rarely as big as they look, again look at the floor plans or ask the agent.

Satellite view is always to be used.

Thee sales details of our house include the size of the garden (0.27 acres) and the floor area of the house. Most include room size on the floor plan. I get very irritated when I have to delve into the brochure to get that info.

Photographs of our garden show how big it is

Actually when I photograph my garden, either in the background or because it's looking nice, it always looks bigger in the photo than it actually is. Definitely check on google earth or with the agents before viewing. I could have a garden half the size & still have the same flowers & veg & trees though - just less lawn.

I've done a lot viewing over the last year or so, both online and in person, and none of the property ads have shown the dimensions of the garden. The only mention has been if it's a particularly large garden, then they sometimes state, 'garden in excess of 1/4 of an acre', or something like that. Not that I want a large garden, as we're looking to downsize our home with a nice but easily manageable garden for retirement.

However, some of the photos I've seen online, you'd think it was a completely different house/garden. They obviously use some kind of wide screen lens to stretch the photos so the rooms look much bigger ... isn't this kind of like false advertising? Anyway, we are now wise to this, so we don't take too much notice of the online photos!

Likewise we are also househunting at the moment. I think the idea of the wide angle lens is to try to fit as much of a room into a photo.

Not every agent does this. DD's estate agent didn't. He said people are then delighted when they visit the house for sale and realise how big it is. Her house sold to the first person to view it, so he may have a point.

You can always tell from the photo when a wide angle lens has been used. Thankfully our estate agent did not use a wide angle lens and he did give a precise size for the plot. 0.27 acres.

As we are looking for minimal garden, any suggestion that the garden is more than a pocket handerchief and the house is rejected anyway.

I’ve been dipping in and out of estate agent websites while I toy with the idea of downsizing. When I first noticed unusually wide doors I naively thought perhaps the house had been adapted for a wheelchair user. Then I began to notice almost every house I viewed online had abnormally wide fridges, laptop screens etc. It seems it’s common practice to use a wide angle lens .

Nothing new in any of this. Site visits are the remedy.

I'm another who uses Google earth to check size of gardens/ proximity to things.

I wouldn't just believe estate agents.

Good luck regarding finding somewhere just right!

I purchased a house that had a lovely patio garden. When I viewed it was a different time of the year so I didn't really see what lay behind the misrepresentation. When I moved in neighbours told me brochure photos were actuall from a previous sale. I am now having to spend a fortune having it all ripped out.

I have also noticed the wide lens trick.
When my H died I toyed with the idea of downsizing.
Houses I looked at seemed appealing until I read the room sizes.
Attractive looking sitting rooms, but with wide doors?
When checking I was shocked to read that attractive room was about 12ft square.
Beautiful kitchens again 8ft x 6.
Deceptive by any name.

Spot on Annsixty !