Property Photography UK

The law on misleading property photos

Property marketing in the UK has to give buyers and tenants an accurate picture. Since 6 April 2025 the rules on unfair commercial practices sit in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, which repealed and replaced the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. Propertymark reports that under the new regime, omitting material information is automatically treated as an unfair practice, and the Competition and Markets Authority can now impose fines directly, without going to court.

Propertymark also notes that the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team's material information guidance (Parts A, B and C) was withdrawn when the Act took over, although agents still refer to it as good practice. That guidance said a listing's photography should not be used to avoid disclosing details that would knowingly affect a buyer. In plain terms: photos can show a property at its best, but they must not hide or invent anything a buyer would want to know.

Which edits are fine and which are not

Commentators quoted by The Negotiator, the estate agency trade title, draw the line in a similar place. Our approach follows it.

Normally fine:

• correcting exposure, white balance and colour so rooms look as they do in person
• straightening converging verticals caused by camera tilt
• blending window exposures so the view is visible and not burnt out
• removing temporary items: a car on the drive, a wheelie bin, a towel on a radiator
• blurring personal details such as names on post or photos of children

Not acceptable:

• removing power lines, pylons, phone masts, neighbouring buildings or anything fixed
• hiding damp, cracks, stains or damage
• changing wall or carpet colours to something that is not there
• replacing a grey sky in a way that also hides overhead cables or a view
• lens distortion so extreme that rooms look larger than they are

If a vendor asks for an edit on the wrong side of that line, we will say so. Virtual staging, if used, should be clearly labelled and shown alongside the real empty room.

How we shoot a property

Rooms are shot from roughly chest height with a wide, but not extreme, lens, keeping the camera level so walls stay vertical. Each main room gets two angles, usually from opposite corners, so buyers understand the layout. Bathrooms, kitchens and the main bedroom matter most, followed by the garden and the front elevation. Exterior shots are timed for the best light where we can, and dusk exteriors with lights on can be arranged for higher-value homes or holiday lets.

We work at ground level only: no aerial or mast-mounted shots. If the property has been sold on its views, we photograph them honestly from windows and the garden.

Getting a property ready

• Turn on every light and open all curtains and blinds.
• Clear worktops, bathroom shelves and the fronts of fridges.
• Move cars off the drive and bins out of sight.
• Make beds with plain, pressed linen.
• Put away pet bowls, toys and personal photographs.
• Mow the lawn and sweep paths if the weather allows.

Holiday lets benefit from a few styled details, such as towels on the bed or a set table, as long as guests will find them on arrival.

Prices, floor plans and portals

Property photography is priced by time: a half day from £295 + VAT or a full day from £495 + VAT, so agents and developers can book several properties in one visit. Travel beyond Mansfield and Nottinghamshire is added to the quote. Files are delivered as landscape JPEGs sized for the main portals and for your own website, with full-resolution copies for printed brochures. We also draw floor plans and design property brochures. For agents, see our design for estate agents page, or get in touch.

What you get

• Edited interior and exterior JPEGs in sRGB
• Landscape 4:3 and 3:2 exports sized for property portals
• Full-resolution files for brochures and window cards
• Straightened verticals and balanced window views
• A short note of any edits beyond colour and exposure
• Floor plans available as a separate service

How it works and what it costs

Logos from £150, brochures from £295, photography from £295 a half day and CAD at £45 an hour, all + VAT. You get a fixed price before we start.

1. Tell us the brief

   What it is for, who will see it, where it will be used and any examples you like. Rough is fine.

2. Fixed price

   We confirm the price and what you get, in writing, before any work starts.

3. First designs

   We design, shoot or model it and share the first version for your comments.

4. Refine

   We make the changes, check every detail, and prepare the files properly for print, web or manufacture.

5. Final files

   You get the finished files in the formats you need, ready for your printer, website, social channels or manufacturer.

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