If you’re needing to get your home appraised, whether for a refinance or other reason, you’re going to want to do everything in your power to get the highest possible appraisal value. And while a lot of what the value of your home will be based on comparable home prices in your area, there are a few things you can do to ensure that you get the best possible outcome. To show you how, here are three tips for preparing your home for a high appraisal.
Use An Appraiser From Your Area
To get your appraisal off on the right foot, CNBC recommends that you ensure you’re using an appraiser who is either from your area or knows your area well. If you get someone who isn’t familiar with your specific area in the community, they might not be as in tune with what that small market is currently doing with regards to home values. This could result in you getting an appraisal that could be way off. So to ensure this doesn’t happen to you, try to use an appraiser who is already knowledgeable about the homes in your area.
Know What They’re Looking For
Unless you’re willing to do some major renovations before the date of your appraisal, there may not seem like there’s a lot you can do to influence how the appraisal value of your home turns out. And while this may be generally true, it can be beneficial to know what areas of your home the appraiser will be looking at so you can do your best to showcase these areas in the best light. According to Amy Fontinelle, a contributor to Investopedia.com, home appraisers look at things like room count, general interior and exterior condition, functionality of design, recent improvements, location, amenities, and anything that detracts from the home. By pumping up the good areas and minimizing the negative ones, you could give yourself a better chance of having a positive experience with your appraisal.
Clean Things Up
While the cleanliness of your home theoretically shouldn’t have an effect on the appraisal of your home, Mindy Jensen, a contributor to BiggerPockets.com, shares that a messy home could cause the appraiser to want to spend less time in your space, which could make them unconsciously give you a lower appraisal value. Knowing this, it’s a good idea to prepare your home for an appraisal just like you would for an open house.
If you have a home appraisal coming up soon, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you be prepared for this walkthrough and get a great value for your home.
