How To Get The Highest Appraisal

A STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO HELP YOU GET THE MAXIMUM APPRAISAL

1. Make sure you have GFI outlets within six feet of all sources of water. This means your kitchen sink, and bathroom sinks. You may want to check with your public utility provider for the exact criteria concerning this, but get it done.

2. They will be looking at your attic, make sure it has adequate insulation for the space. Adding an attic fan will also be a nice touch when you are trying to show you have a well maintained home.

3. If your home was built before 1978, you may want to make sure you have no peeling paint chips. Paint used in homes prior to 1978 had lead in them. Do not sand any peeling surfaces of a home built prior to 1978, just prime and paint. You do not want lead paint particles becoming air born.

4. Make sure your roof is in good shape. You don't need to hear it from the appraiser after the fact that your roof has affected your appraisal. If you can get away with minor repairs do so now before the appraiser arrives. If your roof is older than 10 years, be prepared to have it affect that bottom line, especially if it shows its age.

5. Brick, vinyl, etc. siding on your home do make a difference. Vinyl siding is considered inferior to brick. Believe it or not, I have actually seen people cover a brick home in vinyl siding..sigh...

6. Thinking about adding a deck? YES. Decks are factored into an appraisers report as well as any storage buildings on the property. If you want to get the best appraisal possible, using pressure treated decking will get you more bang for the buck. Also, size does matter, as well as using great building materials. Covered porches are also factored in. If you have an existing deck, why not stain it and give it the best possible appeal.

7. Adding extra square footage is always a good idea. Got a porch? Enclose it and make it into a sunroom or a family room. If it has heat and air conditioning running to it, the square footage can add as much as $25,000.00 to your homes value. Sometimes more in favorable market conditions.

8. Bedrooms matter. Never ever change a bedroom into a den or merge it with another bedroom for a larger room, unless you have atleast 4 bedrooms or more in your home to begin with. This is a huge error, and will affect your bottom line.

9. If you can,add a half bath if at all possible. People can never seem to get enough baths or bedrooms in a home.

10. Common sense, double car garage carries more value than a single, and a carport less value than a garage. However, strategically speaking, if you have the parking space and it is paved, you could convert your garage into a den or family room, and then attach a carport and chances are you are going to add to your homes value. Something to think about. Just remember to add heating and cooling sources.

11. In many states, a bedroom is only a bedroom if it has a closet. Some states, need a window that is big enough for an adult to crawl out of too. Something to think about if you are converting a space into a bedroom.

12. Check your plumbing. They will be looking at your pipes..we dont want them to see leaks or evidence of leaks.

13. Make sure all outlets are grounded. They will be checking your closets and also your fuse box