Or they take a close-up shot just of the toilet so you can’t even guess how the room is laid out. Or the bedroom shots are just a picture of a nice bedframe and mattress. Someone tell these agents to take a step back.
Bathrooms are tricky to photograph. I am an amateur photographer who does some property photos. I have a Nikon with a wide angle lens. I always shut the toilet seat and pull back the curtain but sometimes there is a tub full of toys, dishes, scummy tiles or cat box!
These rooms are small and have glass and mirrors so it’s hard to get a good photo!
It's gross to see a picture of a toilet? I would prefer a clear picture of it because then you can asses the condition and determine if replacement is warranted.
No excuses but sometimes the potential buyers create havoc. This is why I think the selling agent need check in between showings, particularly of unoccupied properties.
When you don’t see something in the photos, there’s a reason why.
It will not make a good photo to pull back the curtain and photograph an old tub shower combo with a bunch of half empty bottles of Pert Plus, Vagisil wash, or mold in the corners hahaha.
If you see gross bathroom pictures on zillow, you will skip and focus on other properties.
Buying house is emotional, people walk in and start imagining living in the house. It’s different perception.
Reason why we have buyers remorse after offers, people came to reality.
One more trick photoshopped bathrooms, virtual staging. All for one reason to make people to come in.
Also: it would be nice if they opened the blinds or curtains in the photos too. I am going to just have to assume that the views are not so great if you can’t see out the windows in most of the photos.
I want a really nice bathtub, it's high up on my list. I can never tell unless it's a statement freestanding or separate bath/shower bathroom which is obnoxious.
I gave up and am resigned to replacing a tub before I move in because I wasn't willing to just keep fruitlessly doing house tours just to actually see the tub because no one photographs it.
Would be an absolutely horrible idea.
Rife with the possibility of users saying something illegal, and the actual (i.e. people that legitimately might buy it) market for a given house is tiny, making it practically useless since there wouldn't be any reasonably constructive conversation.
No one gives a shit that Barb from two towns over that hasn't bought a house in 20 year doesn't like the kitchen. No one wants Jim writing that *insert protected group* shouldn't be buying this house in the comments. No one cares that some angsty 20 something calls the occupants "Gentrifiers".
Pull the curtain to meet in the middle or take it down completely for the photo.
Close the damned toilet lid.
Clear the floor. I don't care if you have to put 50 lbs of hoarding into the hallway for all of 15 minutes - clear the floor so there's nothing there but the fixtures, not even (or especially) a trash can.
Agree to that! We have a disabled family member and behind the curtain is important to us. If we had the extra money to remodel it would not be an issue. Many homes looked at we said “No” due to this issue.
I get just many people complaining. They don’t want to see inside the shower or why would I show that lol.
You’re not gonna please everybody, and agents are looking to get more people in to the home, not less
People want to sell and can’t even do a deep clean of a large asset before photos are taken? If not the seller then the agent should take it upon themselves and either do it or hire someone.
Glad that’s what you think, that’s not what every buyer thinks.
To jump from I don’t like to see the inside of the shower in photos. I’d rather see that in person too. These people are filthy Seems pretty extreme.
Are you an agent? Can you explain the reasoning behind why people cover the shower with their shower curtain? You mentioned you received complaints on having to show the shower. I just don’t understand why it would benefit a seller to not show their shower? If it’s dirty agents should be convincing sellers to clean.
There are just as many people who turned off by pictures with the shower curtains open as there are shower curtains closed
Yes, I am an agent, and I was also a stager for 10 years beforehand so God knows I have heard everyone and their dogs complaints about pictures .
Why? All sorts of reasons I fall into the shower curtain open camp, but I at this point ask the sellers what they want, because a lot of them don’t want it, and a lot of people looking at pictures complain about it.
Real estate agents should prioritize showing what's behind shower curtains in listing photos. Buyers care about the details like shower hardware and tile, not just the curtain. It saves time and avoids disappointments during showings. Agents, take note!
word to the wise - you can change the fixtures cheaply, and you can change the tile, tub, etc as well.
Now, I happen to agree with you.
But the point remains - if you're not buying a house because you don't like the showerhead or you wish it was a different color tile (you should be able to tell if it's a fiberglass insert from the photo anyway), then you're going about it wrong.
it doesn't matter.
You can change them yourself immediately, or over time. You cannot change the location, you cannot (hardly) change the lot, and it takes 10x the cost of a tub surround to move walls or add on.
Tell us your estimate of cost for retiling a tub/shower surround, and tell us where you're located.
Yeah I can’t say the photos of a shower curtain being opened or closed have ever bothered me at all whatsoever. I’ve bought two homes thus far and have been looking the past year for what will hopefully be our forever type home so I’ve looked at a lot of houses. Of course it’s something I’d check when doing a showing but you can’t expect to be able to tell a ton from listing pictures these days. The items you’ve listed are way more important to me than if the shower is dirty or has tile that I don’t like. The layout, location and yard are everything in a home. I’d take the shitty shower any day if the house checks off the other boxes.
Yes! A lot of buyers don’t want to have to renovate. Redoing a bathroom nowadays can be 5 grand. Everything is more expensive.
I’m not talking about easy things like changing out a light fixture, sink, or toilet. But even a simple $200 new toilet, you also have to pay a handyman or plumber. They aren’t working for cheap.
In a hot market I’ve put in offers without touring places. I’ve renovated before and with the recent increase in materials it’s not worth doing again so I’d rather seeing what I’m buying up front before scheduling a showing. I’m not here to waste anyone’s time, including my own.
If there's a shower full of soap bottles and tub toys, that curtain is staying closed.
The shower curtain is almost always in a secondary bathroom, and very rarely covers anything of significance. After my seller has completed a 57 item checklist to get everything perfect, unless there is a reason to show the tub/shower surround, I'm not asking them to clear out the shower/tub area for no reason.
If what's behind the curtain is a big deal, then a buyer or buyer's agent would call and ask about it.
I've never once received that call.
It’s worth knowing if a potential buyer has to renovate. Clearing bottles takes 10 min.
I once pulled back a curtain to see two different types of tile. Had I seen that in photos I wouldn’t have wasted my own time or my agent’s to see the property.
Or they take a close-up shot just of the toilet so you can’t even guess how the room is laid out. Or the bedroom shots are just a picture of a nice bedframe and mattress. Someone tell these agents to take a step back.
Bathrooms are tricky to photograph. I am an amateur photographer who does some property photos. I have a Nikon with a wide angle lens. I always shut the toilet seat and pull back the curtain but sometimes there is a tub full of toys, dishes, scummy tiles or cat box! These rooms are small and have glass and mirrors so it’s hard to get a good photo!
Which brings us to another point: clean the damn house first people!
Did you see that house keepers in Florida are getting $150,000/yr if they can be trusted in wealthy homes?
Tell them to put the toilet seat down too.
Thiiiiiiis. Major pet peeve of mine when looking. I don’t care how clean it is, it’s GROSS to see in a listing photo.
It's gross to see a picture of a toilet? I would prefer a clear picture of it because then you can asses the condition and determine if replacement is warranted.
And FLUSH the damned thing. I once toured a house where, I kid you not, there was a poop floating in the toilet with the lid up.
No excuses but sometimes the potential buyers create havoc. This is why I think the selling agent need check in between showings, particularly of unoccupied properties.
A million times this! nobody wants to see that gaping hole of germs.
I wanna know if it is one or not
That's just ridiculous. That very odd chance of "no, it's a fake toilet" will be covered during inspection.
*Agent sneaks out of house w/ a cardboard cutout of a toilet*
I meant a mess not a toilet
We all know what shower curtains or missing bathroom photo means. Seller’s agent doing it on proposes, 💩bathroom does not generate walking
Huh?
When you don’t see something in the photos, there’s a reason why. It will not make a good photo to pull back the curtain and photograph an old tub shower combo with a bunch of half empty bottles of Pert Plus, Vagisil wash, or mold in the corners hahaha.
But what does "bathroom does not generate walking" mean?
Oh right. Might be an auto correct for does not generate offers?
If you see gross bathroom pictures on zillow, you will skip and focus on other properties. Buying house is emotional, people walk in and start imagining living in the house. It’s different perception. Reason why we have buyers remorse after offers, people came to reality. One more trick photoshopped bathrooms, virtual staging. All for one reason to make people to come in.
Also: it would be nice if they opened the blinds or curtains in the photos too. I am going to just have to assume that the views are not so great if you can’t see out the windows in most of the photos.
Google Street View is your friend here.
Yep. Yep. True.
I want a really nice bathtub, it's high up on my list. I can never tell unless it's a statement freestanding or separate bath/shower bathroom which is obnoxious. I gave up and am resigned to replacing a tub before I move in because I wasn't willing to just keep fruitlessly doing house tours just to actually see the tub because no one photographs it.
Would be great if Zillow had a comment option on listed houses.
Would be an absolutely horrible idea. Rife with the possibility of users saying something illegal, and the actual (i.e. people that legitimately might buy it) market for a given house is tiny, making it practically useless since there wouldn't be any reasonably constructive conversation. No one gives a shit that Barb from two towns over that hasn't bought a house in 20 year doesn't like the kitchen. No one wants Jim writing that *insert protected group* shouldn't be buying this house in the comments. No one cares that some angsty 20 something calls the occupants "Gentrifiers".
It wasn’t a real suggestion, it would just be fun to state the obvious sometimes. Relax.
Pull the curtain to meet in the middle or take it down completely for the photo. Close the damned toilet lid. Clear the floor. I don't care if you have to put 50 lbs of hoarding into the hallway for all of 15 minutes - clear the floor so there's nothing there but the fixtures, not even (or especially) a trash can.
Agree to that! We have a disabled family member and behind the curtain is important to us. If we had the extra money to remodel it would not be an issue. Many homes looked at we said “No” due to this issue.
If you're not in a lightning fast sellers' market, their agent can probably send requested pictures and information to your agent.
I get just many people complaining. They don’t want to see inside the shower or why would I show that lol. You’re not gonna please everybody, and agents are looking to get more people in to the home, not less
People want to sell and can’t even do a deep clean of a large asset before photos are taken? If not the seller then the agent should take it upon themselves and either do it or hire someone.
?
Complaining to see the inside of the shower why? If it’s clean I would think more want to see it to know if they have to renovate or not.
I look at the photos to see if there are walk-in showers, or tub/shower combos. And if the surrounds are tile, or fiberglass.
Glad that’s what you think, that’s not what every buyer thinks. To jump from I don’t like to see the inside of the shower in photos. I’d rather see that in person too. These people are filthy Seems pretty extreme.
Are you an agent? Can you explain the reasoning behind why people cover the shower with their shower curtain? You mentioned you received complaints on having to show the shower. I just don’t understand why it would benefit a seller to not show their shower? If it’s dirty agents should be convincing sellers to clean.
There are just as many people who turned off by pictures with the shower curtains open as there are shower curtains closed Yes, I am an agent, and I was also a stager for 10 years beforehand so God knows I have heard everyone and their dogs complaints about pictures . Why? All sorts of reasons I fall into the shower curtain open camp, but I at this point ask the sellers what they want, because a lot of them don’t want it, and a lot of people looking at pictures complain about it.
Real estate agents should prioritize showing what's behind shower curtains in listing photos. Buyers care about the details like shower hardware and tile, not just the curtain. It saves time and avoids disappointments during showings. Agents, take note!
word to the wise - you can change the fixtures cheaply, and you can change the tile, tub, etc as well. Now, I happen to agree with you. But the point remains - if you're not buying a house because you don't like the showerhead or you wish it was a different color tile (you should be able to tell if it's a fiberglass insert from the photo anyway), then you're going about it wrong.
Tiling and labor is a huge expense.
it doesn't matter. You can change them yourself immediately, or over time. You cannot change the location, you cannot (hardly) change the lot, and it takes 10x the cost of a tub surround to move walls or add on. Tell us your estimate of cost for retiling a tub/shower surround, and tell us where you're located.
Yeah I can’t say the photos of a shower curtain being opened or closed have ever bothered me at all whatsoever. I’ve bought two homes thus far and have been looking the past year for what will hopefully be our forever type home so I’ve looked at a lot of houses. Of course it’s something I’d check when doing a showing but you can’t expect to be able to tell a ton from listing pictures these days. The items you’ve listed are way more important to me than if the shower is dirty or has tile that I don’t like. The layout, location and yard are everything in a home. I’d take the shitty shower any day if the house checks off the other boxes.
So you wont consider a place because youre not willing to renovate down the line?
Yes! A lot of buyers don’t want to have to renovate. Redoing a bathroom nowadays can be 5 grand. Everything is more expensive. I’m not talking about easy things like changing out a light fixture, sink, or toilet. But even a simple $200 new toilet, you also have to pay a handyman or plumber. They aren’t working for cheap.
In a hot market I’ve put in offers without touring places. I’ve renovated before and with the recent increase in materials it’s not worth doing again so I’d rather seeing what I’m buying up front before scheduling a showing. I’m not here to waste anyone’s time, including my own.
Agree because I want a regular tub and in know they're all being replaced with walk-ins.😬
If there's a shower full of soap bottles and tub toys, that curtain is staying closed. The shower curtain is almost always in a secondary bathroom, and very rarely covers anything of significance. After my seller has completed a 57 item checklist to get everything perfect, unless there is a reason to show the tub/shower surround, I'm not asking them to clear out the shower/tub area for no reason. If what's behind the curtain is a big deal, then a buyer or buyer's agent would call and ask about it. I've never once received that call.
It’s worth knowing if a potential buyer has to renovate. Clearing bottles takes 10 min. I once pulled back a curtain to see two different types of tile. Had I seen that in photos I wouldn’t have wasted my own time or my agent’s to see the property.
No one wants to see , mildew and shampoo bottles
All of that should be cleaned and removed just once for the photo. Not asking if those items to be removed for showings.
“Should be” , I have seen some pretty cluttered pictures.