Case Study: Whole-House Exterior Cleaning in Blythewood, SC

A homeowner in Cobblestone Park (Blythewood) was preparing to list their home for sale. The realtor's first feedback: 'The exterior needs to be cleaned before we photograph. It's knocking $10,000 off the first impression.' The house was 9 years old — James Hardie fiber cement siding, two-story, standard 5-inch aluminum gutters, and a concrete driveway. North-facing wall had thick green algae streaking, gutters were overflowing at two points, east-facing windows had hard water spots from sprinkler overspray, driveway had oil stains and biological growth, and the porch ceiling had mildew.

Started with the siding because the sodium hypochlorite solution needs dwell time. Pre-wetted all foundation plants (Liriope, Camellias, Mondo Grass). Applied professional-grade sodium hypochlorite via low-pressure pump sprayer (under 400 PSI). Worked bottom-to-top on all four walls. The north wall received a second application — the growth was thick enough that one pass left remnants. 15-minute dwell time per section, then rinsed top-to-bottom. Treated the porch ceiling separately with same solution applied from below and rinsed gently. The 'green racing stripes' were completely gone. Siding returned to original Desert Tan. 2.5 hours.

Cleared all debris by hand from gutter channels — two 5-gallon buckets of compacted material. Flushed both downspouts (one was 80% blocked, cleared with a drain snake). Verified flow from every section. Noted one gutter hanger pulling loose — reported to homeowner before listing. 45 minutes.

Removed and rinsed all 16 window screens. Squeegeed all exterior glass. The east-facing windows with hard water spots needed a vinegar-based solution to dissolve mineral deposits — standard rinse won't touch calcium and magnesium deposits from sprinkler overspray. Sill and frame wipe-down. 30 minutes.

Pre-treated the oil stain with commercial degreaser (20-minute dwell). Pre-treated biological growth on the north edge with sodium hypochlorite. Surface-cleaned the entire driveway with a 20-inch surface cleaner at 3,500 PSI. Turbo nozzle detail on the oil stain (reduced ~75% — old oil in porous concrete never comes out 100%). Cleaned the sidewalk and front walkway. Applied algaecide post-treatment to slow regrowth. 1.5 hours.

Soft wash full house exterior (2-story, ~3,200 sq ft): $475. Gutter cleaning (two-story): $225. Window exterior rinse (16 windows + screens): $150. Driveway + walkway pressure wash (~800 sq ft): $275. Total bundled (18% discount applied): $925. Time on site: 5.5 hours (2-person crew). Versus individual pricing: $1,125 a la carte — bundling saved $200.

The realtor photographed the property 3 days after our visit. Their comment: 'Night and day. The exterior looks like a new house.' The home went under contract in 8 days at asking price. At $925 for the bundle versus the realtor's estimate of $10,000 in lost first-impression value, the ROI case is straightforward.