House listing axed after suspicious photo of kitchen leaves buyers perplexed

10 December 2023 , 11:00

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The listing led to more than 100 calls, texts and emails (stock image) (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Putting your house up for sale can be stressful, but it's worth checking the photos before they go live.

One home went viral for all the wrong reasons, attracting a staggering 29,000 views in one day. It wasn't for its immaculate garden or unique pool though, eagle-eyed viewers flocked straight to the kitchen.

Advertising on Zillow, the home had an asking price of around £128,000 in 2019 - and featured granite worktops and a kitchen island. However, the homeowners stayed put for a little longer, as the listing was axed. Some home hunters were even worried the photo could land the current occupiers in legal trouble.

On the counter sits what appears to be a plate with five neat lines of a white powdery substance, as reported by WXYZ. Hundreds of viewers commented, with many saying it resembled cocaine. However, the boyfriend of the homeowner came forward to claim the whole thing had been a joke.

Talking to 7 Action News at the time, the man known only as Jeff said: "I was like, I'm wondering if I did something like this if anybody would even notice or if somebody did notice it, that it would go viral and it went viral. It went too viral."

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The plate on the kitchen counter attracted a lot of attention (Zillow/WXYZ-TV Channel 7)

Jeff said he created the scene by putting lines of headache powder on a plate but claims he took down the photo after it got 'way out of hand' as he was left fielding more than 100 calls, texts and emails. Asked if he was happy with the popularity of the listing, he said: "Yes and no."

However, Zillow said it had been the one to remove the listing, with a spokesperson saying it had violated its 'Good Neighbour Policy'. A local police lieutenant said at the time that the force won't be carrying out an investigation into the image as 'there are too many legal questions to establish probable cause for a search warrant'.

He added that even if it had been a stunt, he 'wouldn't recommend' anyone stages a scene like that to boost interest in a home listing.

What do you think about the joke? Let us know in the comments section below

Luke Matthews