Making an Appraisal a Painless Experience

You can make the visit go much quicker. There are some questions you can answer right away. Before the appraiser gets there, tell him about any upgrades you have put in, such as copper plumbing, new windows, new flooring, new cabinets, landscaping, a new roof, new square footage added, or added rooms. All the upgrades add value to the house, and that helps us select houses that match yours in order to establish comparable value.

If there are any additions to the house, permanent or not, we need to know. We have to know about them so we can make a proper adjustment for value. Sometimes houses are permitted for additions, sometimes they are not. We’re not going to turn you over to the local building department if you didn’t secure permits for a home addition.

If the addition looks normal, sometimes I count it as part of the house. Sometimes additions are not even close to being up to code. If it’s that badly done, we do note it, but we don’t count it as part of the house, and so the square footage involved is not included in the livable space total.

Personal property, such as an above-ground swimming pool and spa, swing set and dog houses are not a permanent part of the property and therefore won’t be included in the appraisal report.

Click here to order an appraisal using an interactive PDF form.