It’s not often that you have an appraisal done on your home, especially if you haven’t been in a position to sell houses multiple times. One of the first things you may think is, “What do I need to get ready for this?” Here are some helpful tips you can use to prepare for a visit from an appraiser.
Make Sure the Appraiser Knows Your Neighborhood
While most appraisers are familiar with the area, you’ll occasionally get one who isn’t local. Since there are sometimes some intricacies that need to be pointed out, be sure to bring them to the appraiser’s attention, and ask if there is something specific they should know about the area.
You Don’t Need to Clean the House
Appraisers try to view your home as a potential buyer. While it would be nice if every home was professionally cleaned, that’s not always doable. Appraisers inspect hundreds of homes per year and can look past the “messy teenager room” and the dishes in the sink.
Information on Recent Similar Sales in Your Neighborhood
If you are aware of a home in your neighborhood that is similar to yours and was recently sold as a private sale or FSBO, be sure to let the appraiser know. Also, if you have any information on sales in your neighborhood that are similar to yours but had extenuating circumstances (divorce, estate sale, pipe had burst and the house had major water damage, etc.), bring that to the appraiser’s attention too. Sometimes the information is disclosed on the MLS (multiple listing service), and sometimes it isn’t, so it never hurts to let them know.
List of Updates and Repairs
The appraiser is going to ask you about any recent updates or repairs you have completed in your house. It’s helpful if you think about this ahead of time and make a list of upgrades, estimated costs, and a general time frame of when each item was completed to streamline the appraisal process.
At Title Junction we care about helping you stay informed throughout your real estate transaction. Have questions? Give us a call at 239.415.6574.
In case you missed it, check out our last Title Junction post: Beware of Title Agents with a Suspended License