Get Real with Doug Robinson: Your Guide To Appraisals

Your Guide To Appraisals

You’ve listed your home on the market, and the seller has made an offer. Congratulations! Now, it’s time for your appraisal.

This is the part of the home selling process where an independent third party determines the value of your home. The results of your appraisal can impact your final selling price, so it’s normal to feel a bit nervous going into it. Are you wondering how an appraisal works and what you can do to prepare? Take a look at these tips.

Know What to Expect

Understanding what happens during an appraisal can help calm your nerves and will also help you prepare. Most appraisals take between one to three hours and involve a professional appraiser thoroughly inspecting your property both inside and out. The purpose is to determine the current market value of your property.

Some of the things your appraiser will consider include the age of your home, its location, the size, and what the structure of made of. They’ll also consider the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the layout of your home, and the overall condition of the roof, siding, and interior. Finally, the appraiser will compare your home to the value of comparable homes located nearby.

Prepare Your Home for Inspection

Even though an appraiser doesn’t value your home based on its cleanliness, it’s always a good idea to clean and declutter before they arrive. Sometimes, an appraiser might subconsciously value a home a little lower if it looks like a mess, so it makes sense to take the time to present your home in the best possible light.

Gather the Necessary Paperwork

Appraisers will typically ask for information about the home before they arrive. You’ll make their job easier and ensure a more accurate appraisal if you give them a list of any major improvements you’ve made and provide detailed information about the age of your major appliances, HVAC system, and the roof. Whenever possible, also provide copies of the original paperwork.

If your appraiser arrives and finds out there’s an addition or something else they didn’t know about, all the information they’ve gathered about comparable homes will be off. This means they’ll have to start over — which will delay your results and the closing of your sale. Avoid this by giving full disclosure and providing all of the information upfront.

Be Honest in Your Listing

Before your appraisal, it pays to make an honest assessment of what your home really offers. Unfortunately, sellers and their agents are sometimes guilty of listing “puffery.” Fudging the numbers, adding square footage, or hoping no one will notice your roof isn’t new isn’t going to get you anywhere.

While it’s sometimes tempting to add a little bit here and there, starting with an honest estimate will make the appraisal process much smoother.

Understand the Outcomes

When you get your appraisal back, there are three possible outcomes: it will be higher or lower than the agreed-upon purchase price, or it will be spot-on. If your appraisal matches the agreed-upon price, you’re ready to move forward with the closing, and no additional negotiations are needed.

However, if the appraisal comes in lower, you could have a problem. In this case, you may want to request an appraisal review. During this process, another licensed appraiser will prepare an independent report. This will help confirm the accuracy and completeness of the initial report. If the appraisal is still lower, you may need to re-negotiate with the buyer, and there’s a chance they may walk away from the deal.

If your appraisal comes in higher than the agreed-upon price, you can move forward with the closing. However, you also won’t have the opportunity to ask for more money. While the buyer will be happy knowing they already have some equity in their new home, knowing you’ve underpriced yourself may leave you feeling bitter.

This is why it’s so important to price your home appropriately from the start. Working with an agent with my experience and knowledge will help you evaluate the value of your home and price it correctly for the current market conditions. This will help prevent you from having unpleasant surprises when your appraisal is done.

Thinking about buying or selling a home? I can help make the process easy, get in touch today!

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