Your Home Records Can Help Appraiser

This is a sponsored column by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. 

I recently posted some tips for getting your home physically ready for the appraisal. Whether you are selling, refinancing, or looking for a home equity loan, the shape your home is in will make a difference in the appraisal. But there are a few more things you can do to make the appraiser’s job easier.

• The appraiser needs to know what kind of improvements you’ve made. So keep a list of anything you’ve done in the last 15 years — the date and the approximate cost. It matters whether your air conditioner is five years old or 25 years old. Something as seemingly small as replacing a toilet also counts.
• Find a plot map of your home. Some HOAs will give you one when you buy your property. The appraiser will go look it up, but they’ll appreciate it if they don’t have to. Regardless, they need to know your property lines and the actual square footage of the structure.
• Find comps and have copies of them. This is also something they’ll do, but if you have already done it for them, it helps — especially if it’s a recent sale that didn’t go through a real estate agent. Those comps can take a while to show up on their databases.
• Make a list of all the improvements in the neighborhood, such as the Metro’s Silver Line coming in, a new high-end grocery store, or a recreation center — anything that makes your neighborhood more appealing to buyers. It’s unlikely that your appraiser lives in your community, so let them know what a great location you’re in!

Once you hand over your helpful information, step back and let the appraiser get to work.

By making your property look it’s best and by giving your appraiser the additional information they need to make a good assessment, you will be well positioned to get the highest valuation of your home.