Getting the outside of the house ready to sell
Photos are booked and open homes start soon. When to have the outside cleaned, what order it goes in, and what a rushed clean can cost you in the photos.
The assumption we're testing
“We'll give it a quick blast the day before the photos.”
The outside is the first photo
Most buyers see the front of the house online before they ever visit. A green path, a streaky roof or a dark driveway is the first thing they notice.
It's also the first thing they walk past at the open home. A clean outside won't sell the house by itself. A tired one gives buyers a reason to offer less.
Time it before the photos, not the open home
Book the clean for a few days before the photographer, not the day before. Wet surfaces look darker. You want them dry and showing their true colour.
It also leaves room if the weather turns. Rain on the day means a new date, and you want some slack in the plan.
The roof is the one to book first. A roof soft wash keeps working for a few weeks after, as rain washes off the dead growth. If the roof needs it, book it early.
Top to bottom: the order matters
Work from the top down. Roof and gutter faces first. Then the walls and eaves. Then the deck. The driveway and paths go last.
Done the other way, dirty water from the roof runs down onto walls you've just cleaned. Paths catch the run-off from everything above them, so they go last.
What a rushed clean costs you
A clean done in a hurry with too much pressure can strip paint or leave stripes on the driveway. Those show up in every photo and every inspection.
If painters are coming too, have the walls washed first and let them dry. Paint holds better on clean walls.
Our pre-sale cleaning page has the details. Or get a free quote with your photo date, and we'll book the work around it.
Want it done without the risk? We'll check the surface first, then pick the method.