The short answer
Exterior cleaning is a practical way to address visible dirt on the glass and concrete buyers see as they approach a home. Research supports paying attention to curb appeal and listing preparation. The sources below do not establish a sale-price increase or faster sale caused by exterior cleaning alone.
Agents already recommend preparing the exterior.
NAR’s 2023 Outdoor Features report found that most surveyed REALTORS® had recommended improving curb appeal before listing, and nearly all considered it important in attracting a buyer.
Source: NAR, 2023 Remodeling Impact Report: Outdoor Features, p. 4. These figures describe respondent opinions, not measured cleaning outcomes.
NAR’s 2025 staging survey also identified whole-home cleaning and curb-appeal improvements as common recommendations. The survey received 1,266 usable responses, a 2.5% response rate. These findings describe agents’ reported practices and experiences.
The “7%” figure needs its context.
Valuing Curb Appeal used street-view images, machine learning, and statistical controls to investigate the relationship between appearance and sale prices. Its abstract states that the combined curb appeal of a property and its across-the-street neighbor may account for up to 7% of sale price.
The paper was published online in September 2019 and appeared in a 2020 journal volume. Later coverage does not make it a new 2025 cleaning study. The abstract does not establish a 7% return from washing a driveway or cleaning windows.
How we use the evidence
Recommend cleaning based on visible condition, agreed scope, the seller’s priorities, and the listing schedule. Keep sale-price and sale-speed promises out of the quote.
A useful conversation for your next listing.
- Walk the arrival route. Look at the driveway, walkway, entry, exterior glass, and outdoor spaces that will appear in photographs.
- Separate dirt from damage. Cleaning does not repair cracks, etched glass, or permanent surface defects.
- Define the work before scheduling. Confirm access, condition, water availability, concrete area, and the photography deadline.
Read the original sources.
- NAR: 2023 Remodeling Impact Report — Outdoor Features. Curb-appeal respondent findings appear on page 4.
- NAR: 2025 Profile of Home Staging findings and methodology. Includes reported recommendations for cleaning and curb appeal.
- Johnson, Tidwell, and Villupuram: Valuing Curb Appeal. Publisher abstract reviewed; the full paper is subscription content.
Curb & Pane provides exterior glass and concrete cleaning. This article explains research relevant to that work; it does not claim that the cited researchers studied or endorsed our service. Original sources are linked so readers can evaluate the findings for themselves.
