AI photos on Funda: what to check before you bid

A bright living room, a new kitchen and just enough space for a dining table. What you see on Funda is sometimes a possible layout rather than the house as it stands. The kitchen you like the look of may be one you still have to have fitted yourself. So look at which photos show the house as it is now and which are impressions. That difference counts towards your renovation plans and your offer.

In the Radar broadcast of 31 August 2026, edited property photos made rooms look larger than they were. You do not have to be able to tell how such an image was made. Ask for the original photo and put it next to the floor plan.

An impression shows you the work you would still have to do

Furnishing an empty room digitally can help you see where a sofa or a bed would fit. An impression of a new kitchen gives you an idea of a different layout. Ask what has been added or changed. Has only the furniture been replaced, or have walls, windows and doors been altered too?

Under Funda's rules, an edit that changes the substance of an image has to be noted visibly in that photo. Improving only the lighting, contrast or sharpness does not have to be noted separately. For an existing home, an artist impression or other AI-generated image may not be used as the main photo. New-build projects are an exception.

A photo labelled "impression" still has to be realistic. The label does not make a room that has been widened, or damage that has been edited out, permissible.

Check whether the layout in the photo matches the floor plan

Compare the positions of doors, windows and fixed elements. A sofa against a wall tells you little about the space available if that wall is shorter on the floor plan. Look at what the photo leaves out of frame too, such as which way a door swings or how you get through to the kitchen.

Take the dimensions of an important piece of furniture to the viewing. Measure on the spot whether your dining table fits and whether you can still walk past it. That way you judge the space against your own belongings.

If you doubt the floor area given, ask for the measurement report. A photo that looks spacious and an incorrect floor area are two different questions. How to check the second is in fewer square metres than on Funda.

Ask what it would take to build the impression

An image shows an open-plan kitchen where there is currently a wall. Ask whether someone has simply drawn an idea or whether that wall has actually been investigated. The same goes for an extension, an extra bathroom or moving the toilet. A picture does not show you the work, the cost or the permissions needed.

Ask the estate agent which drawings, calculations or permits are available. If there are none, treat the renovation as something you still have to look into. What to check before a renovation like that is in renovating without a permit.

At the viewing, also walk past the parts that the image has renewed. Look at the existing kitchen, the floor and the bathroom fittings. Use that condition as the starting point for budgeting what you want to change. The viewing checklist helps you go through the rest of the house as well.

If the photo and the house do not match

Save the listing and note which photo you have a question about. Ask the estate agent in writing what has been changed and for an image of the current situation. You can then match the answer to the house later on.

If you suspect the photo rules have been broken, you can click "Meld een fout", report an error, at the bottom of the property page on Funda. Funda investigates reports and can ask the agent to amend the listing. A report about the listing and a complaint about the agent's conduct each have their own route. Those are set out in complaining about an estate agent.

What to do now for this house

• Ask which images have been edited and look at the original photos.
• Compare the layout with the floor plan and measure the places that matter during the viewing.
• Find out what work sits behind a renovation shown in an image before you allow money for it in your offer.