Getting the outside of your house ready before it goes on the market
Listing photographs are usually taken on one morning, and whatever the outside of the house looks like that morning is what buyers scroll past. Green streaking on render and a dark driveway both read as neglect in a thumbnail, even when the inside is spotless.
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Monday to Saturday, 8am – 7pm
- Book roof and gutters before wall work so run-off does not undo it
- Leave a few days between softwash and the photographer
- Do glass last, once every other surface is finished
What the camera actually picks up
Wide-angle estate agent shots flatten detail, so texture disappears and tone does the talking. Algae on a light render reads as grey shadow, a mossy roof reads as patchy, and a stained drive pulls the eye down and away from the house. Cleaning those three surfaces changes the tone of the photo far more than tidying the garden does.
Order of work when a viewing date is fixed
Roof and gutter work goes first because run-off from both lands on the walls. Walls follow, then hard surfaces, then windows last so nothing settles on the glass afterwards. If the listing date is tight, walls and glass give the biggest visible change in a single visit.
Timing around the photographer
Softwashed render keeps lifting for a few days after treatment as the biocide continues to work, so booking a week or so before photographs usually looks better than booking the day before. Pressure-washed paving looks its best once fully dry, which in a Plymouth winter can take longer than people expect.
Common questions
- How far ahead of listing should I book?
- Two to three weeks gives room for weather and lets softwashed walls carry on lightening before photographs.
- Is it worth cleaning if the buyer will redecorate anyway?
- The outside sets the first impression before anyone steps inside, and it is the part of the property a buyer cannot easily judge the condition of from photos alone.
- Can cleaning be planned around an occupied house?
- Windows should stay shut and cars should move off the working area. Access arrangements and drying precautions are discussed for the particular property.
Similar situations
Send your postcode and a photo of the front elevation and we will price the pre-listing clean in writing.
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