That Damp Patch Could Knock £5,000 Off: Gutter Prep Before You Sell

You've repainted the front door, pressure-washed the patio and hidden the wheelie bins. But there's one thing plenty of sellers forget until the surveyor comes knocking — the gutters.

We've been cleaning gutters around the neighbourhood for years, and every spring and autumn we get the same call: "We're selling up — can you do a once-over before the photos?" Smart move. Here's why it matters more than you might think.

Surveyors Notice Gutters Before Buyers Do

The first thing most buyers see is the front of the house. If your gutters are sagging, streaked with green algae or sprouting a small meadow, that's the first impression they take away — and the estate agent knows it. Many agents we speak to will quietly suggest a gutter clean before booking the photographer, because a stained fascia board photographs badly and puts a question mark over the whole property.

Then comes the survey. A homebuyer's report will flag overflowing gutters, leaking joints and any damp staining on the walls. Once "damp" appears in a survey, buyers get twitchy. Even if the cause is a simple blocked downpipe — a £90 fix — the buyer sees pound signs. We've watched deals wobble over exactly this: a patch of damp in the corner of a bedroom, traced back to a single clogged hopper head, turned into a renegotiation worth thousands.

The Autumn Problem

If you're listing in autumn, timing is against you. Leaves come down, the first proper storms hit, and gutters that were fine in September are overflowing by November. A buyer walking round in the rain will see water pouring over the sides — not the look you want at a viewing.

Our advice: get the gutters cleared and checked a fortnight before you list, not the day before the photos. That gives us time to spot cracked joints or a loose bracket, and gives you time to fix them properly rather than paper over the cracks.

A Pre-Sale Gutter Checklist

Here's what we recommend to anyone putting their house on the market:

• Full clear-out. Not just the visible bits — the run above the back extension and behind the chimney always holds surprises.
• Check the downpipes. Run a hose through them. A blockage here is the number one cause of mystery damp patches.
• Look at the joints and seals. Small drips at the joints are cheap to reseal now, embarrassing on a survey later.
• Inspect the fascias and soffits. If they're tired, a clean or a replacement panel can transform the front of the house.
• Check the ground level. Water discharging onto a saturated wall base is what surveyors call a defect. A repaired shoe or a bit of drainage takes care of it.

What It's Worth

A professional clean and minor repairs typically costs less than a fortnight of council tax. The damp report, renegotiation or fallen-through sale it can prevent? That runs into four figures, easily.

If you're selling this season, give us a ring. We'll have a look, tell you straight what needs doing — and nothing more — and you can put your house on the market knowing the one thing surveyors love to poke won't give them anything to poke at.