Clear the gutters before showings
Empty the gutters and check that downspouts send water away from the foundation.
Look along the roof edge on a dry day, from the ground and from a stable ladder if you are comfortable using one. Leaves and grit in a gutter spill over the siding in the next rain, and that streak shows up in the front photo. Write which run is full: front, back, or a side. You do not need to clean a gutter that is already empty.
Scoop the debris into a bucket, not onto the bed below if you can help it. Gloves are enough for a light season. A small gutter scoop is often under $15 if your hands will not fit. Work from the downspout back toward the high end so you are not pushing a pile into the outlet. Bag the debris with the rest of the yard waste when you are done.
Then prove the water moves. Run a hose at the high end and watch. Water should travel to the downspout and land several feet from the wall. If it pours over the front lip, the gutter is still clogged or it is pitched the wrong way. If it pools at the foundation, add an extension. A plastic downspout extension is often about $10 to $20. Aim it so the water does not dump onto the walk someone will use.
Write the result on the repair list before you buy paint for the siding. A clean gutter does not fix a seam that leaks or a spike that has pulled out. Those are separate lines, and a handyman bid for a rehang is a number you can compare with the paint. If you will not get on a ladder, hire the cleaning and ask for a note that says the downspouts ran. Do this before showings, and again after a heavy drop of leaves if the house sits under trees.
What to do
- Scoop leaves and grit from the gutters that are actually full.
- Run a hose at the high end and watch where the water lands.
- Add a downspout extension if water sits by the wall.
- Write any leak or loose hanger on the repair list before you paint.