
How to Prepare for a Home Appraisal
Home appraisals are an essential aspect of selling or refinancing a house and can have a large impact on the process of both. Because of this, you’ll want your house to look its best before the appraiser arrives.
A home with visible issues might lead the appraiser to tell the bank that the actual value of your property is less than you expected. This unfortunate assessment may force you to lower the listing price, exclude you from home refinancing, or lead to an uphill battle with your appraiser to have them change their assessment. But don’t worry! Our experienced team at Amy Stockberger Real Estate came up with some essential tips for how to prepare for a home appraisal.
Top Items to Tackle Before Your Appraiser Arrives
Appraisers take a lot of factors into consideration when determining the value of your home. Some of these factors like the age, size, and location of the property are out of your control. Luckily, there are aspects you can control like curb appeal, simple home repairs, and more. Below are our top ways to make your home appraisal as successful as possible.
1. Boost Your Curb Appeal
Simple improvements to your home’s curb appeal like the ones listed below can help give a more positive first impression.
- Give your landscaping some TLC. This includes mowing your lawn, planting flowers, and power washing your siding and other exterior elements.
- Create a welcoming entryway. This could be refreshing the paint of your front door, making your patio furniture look its best, or even replacing your home address sign.
- Scan for simple fixes for your home’s exterior. Check for chipped paint and clogged gutters, and make the necessary repairs.
2. Get Your Documents Ready
You’ll want to make sure that you and your appraiser are in agreement on the basic facts of your home and property. Be sure to have the following items below in-hand before your appraisal.
- A land survey of your property. It’s important to make sure you and your appraiser are on the same page in regards to the size of your property.
- Document the most recent sale price. It’s not a bad idea to confirm that your appraiser has the most up-to-date recent sale price.
- Track all of the upgrades you made to your home. You want to show how much work you’ve put into your home and the improvements you’ve made since purchasing it. Be sure to include the receipts!
- List of comparable properties values (comps) in the area. Make sure your comps are consistent with the ones provided by your appraiser.
3. Make Simple Home Repairs and Upgrades
Focus on easy fixes, inexpensive upgrades, and home improvements that add value like the ones listed below.
- Touch up paint. Be sure to cover up chipped paint and/or dirty walls.
- Simple door repairs. These might include fixing broken knobs, replacing hardware, or filling in holes.
4. Declutter and Clean Your Home
While a clean and organized house isn’t something an appraiser technically accounts for, decluttering your home will create a better overall impression of your property. Plus, there's nothing wrong with having a clean house in general.
- Deep clean your house. A deep clean of your home will make the best features of your home shine, literally. This is especially helpful when you want to highlight the new floors or your upgraded kitchen backsplash you installed.
- Organize and declutter your rooms. Decluttering your home can make the space appear bigger and can help you show off the best features of your home.
Are you ready for your home appraisal?
Hopefully, you’re feeling better about showing your home in its best light so you can get the appraised value you’re expecting—or even higher!
Do you still have questions about preparing for your home’s appraisal? Let’s continue the conversation! Reach out to the professionals at Amy Stockberger Real Estate via our online contact form or by phone at (605) 376-6780. We would love to help you!
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