Top-Rated Getting a House Ready to List: What to Clean First

Listing prep has a deadline, which changes the priorities. You are not trying to get the house perfect. You are trying to remove the things a buyer notices in the first ten seconds and the things an inspector writes down. Those are not always the same list.

Start with the roof. It is the largest single surface in most listing photos and the first thing a buyer sees from the street. Moss and black streaking read as deferred maintenance even when the roof has years of life left, and that impression is hard to undo later in the process. On asphalt shingles I use a brush and a moss-killing powder rather than pressure, because pressure takes granules off the shingle and shortens the life of the roof.

Gutters next, for a different reason. Gutters rarely change a photo, but they show up in inspections, and a clogged gutter that has been overflowing leaves staining down the fascia that does show. Clearing them before the photos means the fascia can be cleaned at the same time.

Then the siding. A soft wash on siding is the highest-visual-impact item per dollar on most houses. It is the difference between a house that photographs as tired and one that photographs as maintained, and it is usually a same-day job.

Concrete and walkways after that. Driveways and front walks frame the entry in photos, and a clean approach makes the whole property read as cared for. Flat concrete gets a surface cleaner rather than a wand, so there are no stripes in the finish.

Windows last, always. Windows have to come after everything above them, or you will be cleaning them twice. This is the most common sequencing mistake I see when someone has already started on their own.

On timing: book the outside work to finish before the photographer, not after. Photos get taken once and then live on every listing site for the duration. If you are working against a listing date and need to know whether it fits, tell me the date when you call and I will tell you honestly whether I can hit it.

I work with agents on listing prep regularly and can quote from an address if you are coordinating on behalf of a seller.