How to Prepare your Home for Appraisal

Upon deciding to sell your home, setting up an appraisal is one of the first few things you would do as it can help you determine the monetary value of your home.

However, before you complete the appraisal, there are a few things you should do first!staff

  1. Check on all of your safety items. This includes, smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Be sure all are in working order, and have fresh batteries.
  2. Look through your home CAREFULLY. Try to take an eye that a home buyer would have, and look for any signs of improvements needed. These show that you, as the homeowner, have taken care of the home.
  3. Tell the person who is appraising your home about any improvements you’ve done. For example, costly repairs such as a new roof will increase your home’s value.
  4. Clean your home thoroughly. Consider adding a fresh coat of paint, new curtains, etc. Update any materials in your home that seem dated.
  5. Do research on other homes in your neighborhood, and inform the appraiser of things like schools, parks or other things in your neighborhood that would entice potential buyers.
  6. Pay attention to the 500$ rule. This rule basically means that home improvements generally come in repair increments of 500$. A few of these repairs can hurt your home’s value by thousands. If you notice anything that could be fixed for less than 500$, fix it immediately. This will help to save you some money when dealing with your appraiser.