Once you’ve decided to put your house for sale or just refinance your mortgage, you should know that you have to prepare your home for an appraisal. With that, you can move to better things and save lots of money while having the best price for your home. 

And even if it’s hard leaving your home, you have been there for so long, enjoyed its features, and know how great your home is. But you have to know that when you list your home for sale, you probably want to have it appraised so that you can determine its worth. 

You would like the appraisal of your home to be at its highest. Having a licensed professional who passed the real estate license exam will assist you with the appraisal and determine the home’s value. Because the higher your house is appraised, the more money you will get when refinancing or selling it. 

In this article, learn some tips on preparing your home for an appraisal with the help of brokers who passed the real estate exam. 

Simple Ways to Ensure Higher Appraisal of a Home 

1. Check the Curb Appeal 

You should start with your home’s curb appeal, as it’s your opportunity to have a very good impression on home appraisers and potential buyers. Then, of course, you want to get the best value appraised for your home. 

Get ideas about affordable curb appeals to enhance the exterior appearance of your home. It usually takes about less than just few hours for it to complete. 

So, right before the appraiser arrives, you can have some ideas to enhance the exterior of your home. It could be planting flowers, raking leaves, lawn mowing, trimming bushes, etc. 

2. Thorough Cleaning 

Appraisers are also required to keep up with the standards and regulations. However, most of their function is subjective. That said, you must allot another time before the appraisal to always give your house a total deep cleaning. It will allow you to check and fix problems that appraisers could notice. 

Of course, you would agree that a tidy and organized home speaks something about you, especially since you are the owner. It could also help appraisers check every home feature to be its best. As much as possible, deodorize awful smells from your refrigerator, pets, garbage, or even your unwashed laundry, and even pay attention to the areas that could not be part of the regular cleaning. 

3. Declutter

Do you know what they say that “Less is more” has a deeper meaning? So while the appraisers might overlook some home features, know that decluttering could make the job more easy because the appraiser would probably take measurements and pictures during the process. 

Any household items that are left in the way could prevent the appraiser’s ability to check around. Keep in mind that a clean and bright home could look spacious and helps the appraiser get that exact feel of the condition of a home. 

4. Have Some Minor Repairs 

If you have the budget, have walkthroughs of the home to ensure that every part is working well. If you see some issues, like drippy faucets, scuffs on walls, doors that are squeaky, or worn-out cabinets, you may quickly fix these issues ahead of appraisal. 

That way, appraisers will not notice the imperfections. A real estate licensed professional follows a $500 rule. It’s where they are going to value the property and it’s based on increments of $500. So even just small fixes could increase the value to the home’s appraisal. 

5. Update Materials 

With this, you will update old countertops, replace old flooring, or paint cupboards if possible. The linoleum and outdated prints should also look updated. 

You should also laminate the tile and flooring to refresh the room, as with updating the countertops. Keep in mind that you have to keep the feels and looks neutral and modern. Appraisers usually have an eye for the classic because it’s timeless. 

6. Look Around Your House to the Surrounding Areas 

Do you see parks, new schools, stores, highway ramps, or other public amenities that have been added since you bought the house? You must discuss these matters with the appraiser or get advice if you know licensed real estate professionals who passed the real estate license exam. 

They’re probably unfamiliar with the area and the amenities, but you have to tell them as these factors can even increase the value of your home.

By HomeLight Homes

Wrapping Up

Contrary to popular belief, a home appraisal preparation could be stress-free when you know the factors every home appraiser would look at. In addition, many things can be done before appraising your home so that the process goes smoothly. So, when everything’s said and done, the factors would work together in helping to increase the results of the appraisal while it maximizes the value of the home.