7 Ways to Prepare your Charlotte Home for an Appraisal

Have you ever considered that preparing your Charlotte home for an appraisal could increase its appraised value?  While many owners consider a home appraisal as simply another step in the process of selling or refinancing their homes, homeowners who prep their homes for the appraisal often fare better than those who do nothing.

Here are seven ways to prepare your Charlotte home for the best appraisal possible:

1. Give the appraiser a list of recent sales.   Ask your real estate agent to make a list of properties similar to yours that have recently sold in your neighborhood.  Be sure to include the sales price.  This is one less thing the appraiser has to do.
2. Supply a copy of your home’s blueprint.  This will help to verify room measurements and lot size.  Also, provide the date your home was built.
3. Provide a list of improvements.   Make a list of improvements you’ve made to your property since you bought it. Include the dates the improvements were made.  Be sure to list all improvements such as adding a room, updating your kitchen or bathroom, pouring a patio or replacing a roof.
4. Make it easy for your appraiser to see the entire property.  Do you have an attic or crawl space that’s hard to access?  Do whatever is necessary to make it easy for the appraiser to get to those hard to reach spaces.
5. Spruce it up.  A clean home makes a good impression.  Trim the lawn, clean the garage, and make minor repairs both inside and out.
6. Point out amenities.  Do you have a sprinkler or security system, built-in vacuum, or other special features that aren’t obvious?  Give a list of these amenities to your appraiser.
7. Have your home ready as though you were preparing for a showing.  Ready, set, SHOW!  Despite the fact that most believe that a home appraiser is simply looking at the space in the home, a well-maintained home appraises higher than one that is in disarray.  If your home looks meticulous, the appraiser will get the same sense that your buyers got:  “This home has been well cared-for.”   

Thinking of selling your Charlotte home?  Let me help you sell it faster with less stress and for as much as possible.  Give me a call or email me today for more information.