Estate agent using pictures of our house to sell another house

baggerstorbay

(no longer needed)(no longer needed)(no longer needed)

theartfullodger

Sue them for loss you have suffered. How much would that be?

mangog

Were the pictures taken before you moved in, i.e. do they show your belongings or just a show home? If it's the latter then I don't see why they shouldn't use them to advertise similar units on the same development.

lincroft1710

Providing they do not trespass on your property, anyone can take a photo of your home. I worked for a government agency which has taken probably hundreds of thousands of photos of houses without specific owner's permission

baggerstorbay

(no longer needed)(no longer needed)(no longer needed)

elsien

If they're only photos of the exterior to show what the unfinished housing will look like, and the plans are similar so buyers aren't being misled, I don't see the issue.

baggerstorbay

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PasturesNew

Legally, they own the copyright to the pictures and can use them how they wish, so long as that's legal. "Houses a bit like this one will be built soon" is legal as they're not saying it's YOUR house.

Morally, they should change them.

Phone/write and tell them you'd prefer they didn't use your house photos.

mangog

So it's just the outside? I'm not sure I understand the issue in that case. They have to show something, and it's not like they're trying to pass it off as the exact house for sale. It's just an example of the type. Anyone actually interested in the units for sale would see plans etc for the specifics so I don't see that this is misleading to potential buyers.

Presumably anyone can see the outside of your house from the street, so it's not a privacy issue either. I initially thought you meant they were using photos inside your home, which I would also feel uncomfortable about if it showed my belongings! But if it's the the exterior, they're not showing anything a potential buyer couldn't see by walking past.

baggerstorbay

(no longer needed)(no longer needed)(no longer needed)

mangog

You're right, it's nothing a potential buyer couldn't see just walking past, but just walking past a house isn't having it used as advertising for another house.

Of course, but they're not trying to sell the other house on the basis that it is the *same* house. It's an example of a recently completed house on the same development.

Did you see photos of the *exact* house when you looked at the initial listing for yours, or an example of the type?