Preparing your home for an appraisal is important; whether you are in the process of selling your home or refinancing, getting ready for an appraisal can be a bit overwhelming and even stressful. There are a lot of things to remember and to take into consideration when getting ready for an appraisal, here are a few quick, easy, DIY tips that will help you prep for the appraisal:
Focus on Your Yard
A lot of times people are so focused on preparing their actual home for the appraisal that they overlook their yard. Your yard is perhaps one of the most important parts of your home top focus on for a home appraisal because it’s the first thing that people see when they arrive at your home. Make sure your yard is in the best shape possible, no matter the season. Expert home appraisers in Philadelphia said, “increasing the curb appeal of your home has the power to increase the value of your home, usually houses with high curb appeal receive better appraisals.”
Mowing your grass, trimming your shrubs and trees, and planting flowers are easy ways to improve your home prior to the appraisal. Simple tasks like these can instantly improve your home’s appearance, and possibly the value. It’s also crucial to remove any clutter from both the front and backyard; this means any excess lawn furniture, any garbage, and any bicycles or toys.
In the winter be sure there is no snow or ice on walkways or driveways either.
Clean Areas You Normally Wouldn’t
It’s crucial to deep clean areas of your home that you normally don’t, such as the walls or outdoor decks. Most of the time people don’t realize how dirty certain areas of their home get overtime, especially if it isn’t obvious. Think outside of the box when thinking about places you don’t normally pay special attention to, have you shampooed the carpets recently? Have you ever power washed your siding? Do you have dust on your baseboards, or children’s’ fingerprints on your walls?
Do Your Research
The entire point of a home appraisal is to determine the value of your home, doing your research can give you an idea of what your home is worth. Home appraisals are typically public records which means that you are able to see what the homes in your neighborhood are worth. You will also be able to see any problems that impacted the appraisal value and be proactive in addressing them in your own home.
It’s also important to be familiar with the area in which you live because you can point out things that your home appraiser may not know; such as the school district, nearby state parks, highways, and even stores. Things like these can add value to your home and are worth pointing out during your appraisal.
Install Safety Equipment
Home appraisers look to make sure that a home has safety equipment installed. Safety equipment refers to:
- Smoke detectors with batteries
- Carbon monoxide detectors
- Security alarms
- Secure locks on front and backdoors
- Working garage doors
A secure and safe home is a more valuable home.
Touch Up Paint
Take a walk around your home and look for areas that need a paint touch up. Touching up areas with fresh paint can make all of the difference in a room, this is especially true if you have toddlers/small children or pets that often touch the walls. This is a simple and inexpensive way to increase the value of your home.
Aim For Spotless Rooms
Tidying up before a home appraisal seems obvious, however, like the yard, people often overlook certain small areas of clean up because they are so focused on the general look of their rooms rather than small aspects within it. Make sure each room looks organized, don’t leave a pile of papers on the desk in your office, instead, file them away. Make sure all pillows are placed nicely on couches and chairs. Pay special attention to kitchen countertops and tables to make sure there are no crumbs or food wrappers laying around.
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