How to Prepare for a Real Estate Appraisal 

So you’ve come to the decision that now is the time to sell your home or refinance your mortgage. You know about the condition and functionality of your property but need to know its value. Before putting your home on the market or refinancing, you should have it appraised by a licensed professional to be sure you have an accurate idea of its worth. 

Promptly Get Your Real Estate Appraisal Done

Unfortunately, many who sell or refinance their homes wait until the last minute to have their property appraised. It could cause difficulties if problems arise during the inspection that later need to be resolved before closing on the property. Additionally, you may overlook an opportunity to maximize the advantageous features of your property within the scope of its position in the housing market. It could potentially hinder your ability to get the most profit from your home.

Make Your Home and Yard Look Spectacular

Now that you’ve decided to hire a professional to appraise your home, there are many simple things you can do to make an appraisal go in your favor: 

Make sure that all safety equipment and utilities in the home are in working order. Examples include but are not limited to smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, home security systems, and other common appliances.

Clean. Clean, clean, clean. Then clean some more. Throughout your deep-clean, make a list of any cosmetic or structural damage that need repair before the appraisal occurs. This damage can be anything from a leaking roof to a loose floorboard. 

Give your home a facelift. Replace out-of-date and non-working fixtures, replace countertops, repaint walls, and consider taking up carpets to show off hardwood floors. An aesthetically pleasing and welcoming home will please both appraisers and buyers. Many appraisers suggest maintaining the yard with the same attention to detail as the inside of the house. Curb appeal makes for higher appraisals, period. 

Make sure to keep a list of the improvements you make to your home and report them to the appraiser so that they can take them into account. An excellent example of something a seller could mention would be installing a new HVAC unit or that the floors have recently updated.

Do some homework. Research other comparable homes that are for sale nearby and those that sold within the past six months. Are there any obvious upward or downward market trends? How are local schools rated? Are there any new commercial developments that might get a buyer’s attention? See if you can find distinct features of your property that set it apart from similar homes for sale. It can highlight features that could be worth more consideration while sprucing up your home while improving your odds for a higher appraisal. Examples include repainting a front porch or buying new curtains for bay windows. Not all homes have these amenities, and yours could be a deciding factor for an appraiser or buyer when assessing the property’s value.

Think like an appraiser, and mind the $500 rule. Appraisers assess homes in increments of $500. Use this as a rule of thumb when determining how much it matters to improve the individual features of your home. An unattractive aspect of the property that could be as simple to fix as a broken screen door could knock down the price significantly. Remember, it is your job to showcase your property’s potential and not the appraiser’s job to overlook its flaws.

Ready for Your Home’s Real Estate Appraisal?

Your home looks better than ever, and now it’s finally time to call in an appraiser. Allstate 

Appraisal has a wealth of options to best suit your real estate appraisal needs. To learn more about our appraisal services, reach out to us today.