The Right Order to Clean the Outside of Your House

The core principle: top down

Everything cleaned above will deposit material on everything below. Roof moss falls into gutters and onto patios; render cleaning run-off streaks down walls onto paving; window cleaning drips onto sills and paths. Working downwards means each stage cleans up after the one before it.

The full sequence for a complete exterior refresh is: roof, then gutters, then render or brickwork and fascias, then windows, then patio and paths, then driveway last of all as the surface most likely to be walked over and used for equipment.

• 1. Roof — moss removal and biocide
• 2. Gutters, fascias and soffits
• 3. Render, brickwork and cladding
• 4. Conservatory roof and windows
• 5. Patio, paths and decking
• 6. Driveway

Why gutters come straight after the roof

Roof cleaning always puts material into the gutters. If the gutters are cleared first, they simply refill. If they are cleared immediately afterwards, the whole system ends up genuinely clean and you have paid for one visit rather than two.

This is also the point at which fascia and soffit condition becomes visible, so it is the sensible time to identify any repairs and fold them into the same access rather than arranging a return trip.

Timing and drying between stages

Soft washing a roof or render produces a result that develops over weeks. That does not stop you moving to the next stage, but it does mean you should not judge the roof on the day and it means scheduling the whole programme in one season rather than expecting one visit to transform everything at once.

Some stages genuinely need drying time: patios must be dry before repointing, block paving must be dry before re-sanding, and any surface being sealed needs to be thoroughly dry first, usually at least 24 to 48 hours of dry weather. Plan sealing work around the forecast.

Where to bundle and save

The biggest savings come from shared access. Roof cleaning and gutter clearing use the same set-up, as do render cleaning and window cleaning at height, and conservatory roof and box gutter work. Booking these in one visit is typically 20 to 30 per cent cheaper than separate call-outs.

Ground-level work — patio, paths and driveway — also bundles well because the same equipment and water supply covers all of it. Cleaning a driveway and patio in the same visit costs far less than two separate jobs.

A sensible programme over time

Not everything needs doing at once. A workable long-term rhythm is: gutters annually, patio and driveway every two to three years, render every three to five, and a full roof clean every five to ten. Fit a biocide top-up into the middle of the roof cycle and the whole property stays in good order without a large single spend.

If you are preparing to sell, the compressed version — roof, gutters, render, windows, patio, driveway over a few weeks in the right order — makes a striking difference to first impressions and is one of the higher-return pieces of pre-sale spending.

The bottom line

The sequence in this guide is not fussiness — it is the difference between paying once and paying twice. We regularly meet homeowners who had the driveway professionally cleaned in April and the roof cleaned in June, and who then paid for the driveway again in July. Top-down is a simple rule and it saves real money.

The other saving is in the booking. Because access, set-up, water supply and travel are shared, a property done as one programme typically costs 20 to 30 per cent less than the same jobs booked separately across a year. If you are planning to have several surfaces done, it is worth asking for a single quote covering the lot in the right order.

Frequently asked questions