Tips on How to Prepare Your Home for an Appraisal

An appraisal can make or break a deal when it comes to selling your home. Some elbow grease and teamwork can make your house ready for the challenge of an appraisal.

DECLUTTER!
You’re going to have to pack when you move; so grab some cardboard boxes and dollar store storage totes an start boxing up your off-season items and items you don’t use every day. Designate a place in your garage for these boxes.

CLEAN!
You’re not getting graded on your housekeeping, but it is only natural that the appraiser’s opinion on how well your home has been maintained will be influenced by how clean it is.  The key places to clean are the kitchen (whole room), bathroom (whole room), floors, walls, and baseboards, because they reflect on the condition of your home.  The layer of dust on your coffee table?  Probably not as important.  Also, remember that the appraiser will be taking photographs, so make sure to clean up anything that you might be embarrassed about if it were photographed and included in the report, like a messy, unmade bed or a laundry rack full of drying clothes.

FIX IT!
Tackle that “I’ll get to it later” list. Make the small repairs that you’ve been meaning to get to. Leave the larger repairs to a professional and update your records with the repairs made and repair dates.

TAKE A WALK!
Park in front of your home and walk the path that your appraiser may take. Clean up your landscaping, tidy up the exterior of your home, fix the crack you trip on… etc. If it stands out to you; it probably needs addressed.

GET ORGANIZED!
Create a file of all recent improvements, upgrades, and tax documents. If you spend any money on your home, save all your receipts and keep them together. It’s also a good idea to take before-and-after photographs of any improvements and upgrades. By staying organized, you can easily prove to the appraiser what you did to improve and upgrade your home, and how much you spent.

The goal is for your appraised value to be close to or match the asking price of your home. And at the end of appraisal day, you can kick back and relax in a nice, clean home!

If you have any questions about appraisals, send us a message and we’ll do our best to help!