The quickest way to add kerb appeal before listing your home
Buyers form an opinion from the footpath before they reach the front door, and photographs do most of the work before that. Exterior cleaning is the cheapest way to move both.
Priority order
Driveway and front path first. It is the largest surface in every listing photo taken from the street, and it is usually the dirtiest.
Roof second, but only if it is visible from the street or in drone shots. A lichen-covered roof reads as deferred maintenance, which makes buyers wonder what else was deferred.
Render and front facade third. Mould on the shaded side photographs as staining.
Windows last, but before photography. Clean glass changes how interior photos look more than people expect.
Timing around the campaign
Book the clean at least a week before photography. Roof soft washing in particular keeps improving for two to four weeks, so earlier is better.
If the campaign runs more than four weeks, a quick re-rinse of the driveway before the final open is worth it.
Do not clean the day before photos if rain is forecast. Wet concrete photographs darker and blotchy.
What is not worth it pre-sale
Sealing the driveway. It costs real money, adds a maintenance obligation for the buyer, and nobody has ever paid more for a sealed driveway.
Cleaning areas no buyer will see. Behind the shed, the side return nobody walks down.
Anything structural disguised as cleaning. Pressure washing does not fix a failing render coat, and a building inspection will find it.
Need house washing in Melbourne?
Exterior house washing across Melbourne. Render, weatherboard, brick and eaves soft washed. Cobwebs, mould and road grime gone in a day.