TOP TEN APPRAISAL PREPAREDNESS TIPS

1) Be as flexible as possible with appointment times. The inability to get an appointment set up quickly is the most common cause of delays in the process.

2) Make a list of significant improvements to the home since your ownership, along with an estimated date that improvements / updates were completed. We will ask many questions and make a through visual inspection. However, if you have a list typed up in advance to hand to the appraiser, this will alleviate us missing something important. For example, has your roof been replaced, have you installed new flooring, new windows, water heater?

3) You live in the home so you know the neighborhood better than most. If you know about a recent sale or a pending sale, let the appraiser know. The appraiser may already know about these sales, but it never hurts to remind us of current sales activity, just in case.

4) The appraiser will be taking exterior photos from all angles. In some cases, the appraiser may need to access the attic and crawl space, so make these areas available for inspection. It is best to remove ladders on the exterior of the home, complete all projects on the exterior such as siding or roof repairs and make sure the attic and crawlspace are accessible.

5) If the client is a lender, the appraiser will be taking interior photos since this is required. This does not mean you need to clean the closets and scrub the baseboards. However, It is a good idea to make the beds, clean off counters and make the home presentable. The photos we take will stay with the file, but an underwriter will review them.

6) Mowing the yard and trimming hedges is not necessary, unless it is overgrown. We need to measure the exterior of the home, so trimmed hedges will certainly make it easier to measure. Calling in the landscaping crew for our inspection, however, is not necessary.

7) If you are embarking on a renovation project, have the plans and specifications ready for the appraiser at the house, a copy to take with us is preferable, unless the lender has already supplied.

8) We must access every room in the home, so make sure our appointment time is not conflicting with someone’s sleep schedule. People and animals cannot be in any photos. We love pets too, but please make sure they do not get in the way of our inspection.

9) It is fine to give us a quick tour, but it is also a good idea to give the
appraiser some free time to inspect the home uninterrupted, time to take necessary notes, measure and take photographs.

10) If you have a security gate in your neighborhood, or on your property,
please let us know how to gain entry in advance. This will save time and
an additional phone call.