Photographing used equipment so buyers can judge it

• Identity view: show the item with its sale reference or another reliable way of matching it to the inventory.
• Overall views: show the whole asset from accessible positions, including its configuration and surrounding context where relevant.
• Identification detail: photograph readable plates or markings without altering or obstructing them.
• Included items: show the accessories and documents that form part of the proposed lot, with quantities or references where needed.
• Visible condition: include relevant wear, damage, missing parts and known issues that can be shown safely.
• Constraints: show relevant access or installation context, with appropriate explanations rather than implying a photograph is a removal plan.

Use equipment-specific advice for any additional views. This general list should not encourage unsafe access to obtain a particular angle.

Use the identification evidence sheet if model or serial details are uncertain. A readable close-up is useful; guessing the missing characters in an image caption is not.

If an accessory is excluded, do not leave the photograph to imply it comes with the machine. Identify the actual scope in the description and consider a clearer photograph where practical.

A fictional example is a machine photographed with a cabinet of retained tooling directly beside it. The overall image may be accurate as a view of the workshop but ambiguous as a description of the lot. A separate included-items photograph and clear exclusion wording resolve that ambiguity.

Normal cropping and exposure adjustments can improve legibility, but avoid edits that remove defects, add missing components or suggest a condition the asset does not have. Keep the original files as evidence.

Check confidential details in sale material before sharing images. Screens, paperwork, customer names and unrelated people can appear in the background even when the machine itself is ready to photograph.

Record when the photographs were taken and whether the asset remains in use. If its condition or included items change, tell the sale manager and update the relevant material.

The buyer-information guide explains how images support the wider evidence pack. For an initial valuation from photographs, make the limits clear: pictures cannot establish every operating or technical fact.

Send the organised image set and inventory to UK Auction Group. Use asset references in the file record so the team can connect every image to the correct description and identify what still needs clarification.

Explore the sale preparation guides.