How Can You Improve Your Home Appraisal Value

If you’re looking to sell your home soon or upgrade to a larger property, then your current property will need to be appraised to determine whether or not you’re eligible for your desired mortgage terms. However, most sellers are concerned that low handyman are becoming a trend, thanks to stable (and in some places rising) home market prices.

Add to that the fact that the appraiser won’t spend more than 30 minutes evaluating a property, and you’ll soon realize that the best way to get a desirable appraisal is to take care of all the important features that they’ll be looking out for.

Here are some tips from professional realtors on how to get a really reasonable and attractive appraisal:

Make Sure the Appraiser Knows Your Neighborhood

It’s incredibly important to familiarize your appraiser with your neighborhood, as failure to factor in the quality of the overall community can lead to a low appraisal. If you’re worried that the same will happen to you, then request a local appraiser from your lender, or make sure to supply the appraiser with as much useful information about your neighborhood as you can.

Make Your Own Comparisons

Instead of relying on the comparable properties provided by your lender, do your own research to find at least three well-priced properties that you can compare to your home. For the most recent sales prices and property details, we’d recommend that you consult websites like Trulia, Zillow and Realtor.com.

Find Out What Adds the Most Value

As most sellers know, doing renovations and remodels is a great way to increase the value of your property before a sale. Professional realtors often recommend that you start with areas like the bathroom and kitchen, and then follow up with updates on your landscaping, wood floors and an enclosed garage, if necessary.

Document Your Renovations

Make sure to keep proof of the money you’ve spent on the renovations you’ve done, in the form of before and after photographs, a detailed spreadsheet of the expenses for each renovation, as well as receipts to back it all up.

Remember to highlight crucial structural renovations like improvements to your heating and cooling systems as well as your electric systems, because that will also contribute to the overall value of the property, and are some of the areas that are checked during handyman services.

Talk Up Your Town

You’ll be glad to know that house repairs also factor in the general development of the town that the neighborhood is located in. So, make sure to talk up your town by informing your appraiser of all the exciting developments that are happening, such as public parks, museums, shopping centers and upscale restaurants.

Differentiate between Downstairs and Upstairs

Many homeowners will rush to show off their recently finished basement to the appraiser without realizing that these areas belong to below-grade additions, and as such will not add as much value as above-grade improvements such as an upstairs attic bedroom, for example.

Clean Up

Nothing beats a neat yard and clean interiors when trying to enhance the aesthetic value of a home. Make sure that your home is free from any unseemly clutter, and if you don’t have anywhere to put it away, then hold a garage sale before calling the appraiser, or store it at a storage facility while you wait to sell your home.

An uncluttered space appears much larger than it is, and will allow all those renovations you’ve just made to shine and stand out. Make sure to follow the same principle with your outdoor space by cleaning up, trimming the trees, adding a few colorful flowers to your flower beds and updating the outdoor paint color.