Selling a house can be stressful, but accepting a bid on your home doesn’t necessarily mean your worries are over. The next step, a home appraisal, can be just as nerve-wracking. Here are a few things you can do to make the process less intimidating.
1. Don’t puff up the numbers. If you accurately represent your home in the initial listing, you will have a realistic guesstimate of your home’s value from the beginning.
2. Collect helpful information about your home and send it to the appraiser. A list of significant improvements, permits, the square footage of any room additions, and the condition and age of your HVAC system and roof help the appraiser compile a file of comparable listings (called comps) of homes sold in your neighborhood over the past few years that are similar to yours in size, location and style.
3. Make sure the appraiser sees your home in its best light. Clean, declutter and make minor repairs to give your home an attractive appearance. Be sure and tell family members when the appraiser will arrive so they can dress appropriately.
4. Be realistic about the worth of home improvements you have made. Marble floors or expensive cabinetry may give you great enjoyment, but the chances are you will see only a small percentage of the cost returned in added value.
5. Be patient. It takes a few days for appraisers to research comps, visit your home and pull together all of the information needed to value your home.