SOMETHING isn’t quite right about this picture of a lovely looking three bedroom house listed for sale.
This owners of this family home have been accused of “pulling a fast one” by neighbours since it was listed.
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The property on Station Road, Eaglescliffe, has allegedly been subject of some creative photo editing to boost its appeal.
It’s listed on Rightmove for £350,000, where an initial illustration showed it looking in top notch condition.
The house’s exterior looks neatly done up for the cameras, boasting a tidy front drive and small hedgerow.
But eagle-eyed observers have since suggested that the image – which no longer appears on the Rightmove posting – may be AI enhanced.
The Daily Mail reported from the site of the house to find it looking in vastly different condition.
Gone is the charming shrubbery next to the property, which is instead a fence next to a beauty studio.
The vibe of the photo taken from the scene was rather different to the spruced up image presented in the advert.
After running the original picture through AI checkers, the Daily Mail reported that the image may have been doctored.
One site told them: “We are quite confident that this image, or significant part of it, was created by AI.”
The Rightmove listing also offered a 360 degree view showing Eaglescliffe railway station.
But the paper also found that the station is under noisy redevelopment at time of writing.
Other images in the listing show spacious looking rooms throughout the house – which all appear in smart condition.
A man who claimed to be the property’s owner pulled up in a Porsche and confronted the Mail reporter while they were at the site.
When they explained their findings, he allegedly told them: “I think you will find a lot of adverts do that now.
“You are not allowed on the property but do what you want to. You don’t need my name.”
One neighbour told the Mail: “They are pulling a fast one. It’s a laugh. The price is shocking.
“It has been empty for a while. I cannot believe it.
“They have faked it all. It is a bit overpriced even though they have done it up.
“An old fellow used to live there but it has been empty since he died and I don’t think the estate agents have had a lot of interest- especially at that price.”
But another told them: “It does not bother me. Who cares?
“If you are going to view it you are going to see what it is like anyway.”
A spokesperson for Roseberry Wood said: “Please be assured there was no intention to deceive in our marketing of the property.
“The listing clearly states that some images have been virtually staged to enhance presentation.”
They pointed to text from the listing, which reads: “This property advertisement includes a combination of original interior photographs and virtually staged images (provided by the vendor) of the same rooms to illustrate potential lifestyle and living arrangements.”
The spokesperson added: “Virtually staged or CGI images are not uncommon in property marketing and are a recognised tool within the industry to help potential buyers visualise a home’s possibilities.
“We take compliance very seriously and ensure that our property listings contain clear links to Material Facts so that prospective buyers have access to all relevant information before making a decision to view or purchase.”
Rightmove was contacted by The Sun for comment.
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