Pre-Listing Deck Wash and Driveway Patch and Seal

What was asked

Two things were making the property photograph badly: a gray, mildewed deck, and a driveway that was cracked and patchy where it met the street. The agent asked for one price to fix both before the listing went up.

What I did

The deck. About 550 square feet of decking plus 120 feet of railing, a pergola over the hot tub, the stairs and the lattice skirting. I used a deck-safe cleaner and washed at a pressure that takes the gray off without furring the wood, then put wood brightener over all of it so the boards dried even instead of blotchy.

The driveway was three jobs in one: squaring up and patching the broken asphalt at the apron, cleaning and hot-filling every crack wider than a quarter inch, then two coats of sealer. Doing the deck and the driveway together saved the seller money, because it was one setup and one trip with the trailer.

How it ended

The work was finished and paid in full in September 2026, ahead of the listing. Timing mattered on the driveway side: sealer needs pavement above 50 degrees and no overnight frost, and the driveway has to sit unused for 48 hours after the last coat. That window closes here around mid to late October, so this kind of job is worth booking early in the fall.

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