How to Prepare for an Appraisal Inspection

How to Prepare for an Appraisal Inspection

What do I need to do as a homeowner to prepare for my appraisal inspection?

The short answer is, not much!

Do I have time to get the house ready for inspection?!

Rest assured, as long as all areas of the home are accessible and unlocked, it’s ready for inspection! While there is nothing you need to do to prepare for your appraisal inspection, there are a few things that would be helpful.

-          Make sure all rooms are unlocked and accessible

-          If you have a crawl space/basement and/or attic, make sure these areas are unlocked and accessible

-          If you have large outbuildings like a workshop or detached garage make sure they are unlocked and accessible (small storage sheds are ok to leave locked up)

-          If the property has been left unattended for a while, make sure the utilities and electricity are on and working ahead of time (so that I may confirm their functionality)

-          Make sure you have smoke detectors present in all main areas (1 per room, excluding kitchen)

-          If there are basements or attics that may not have working light bulbs, changing them would be greatly appreciated (if bulbs are out, I am prepared with flash photos or a simple flashlight)

-          If you have made any updates to the property, an itemized list of each update, the estimated time of completion, and if you’d like, cost estimates for your updates or renovations (these just help to demonstrate the level of your renovation)

-          Tell me about your home! Are there things in the area that make it special? Does it have the oldest trees in the neighborhood? Does it have the best lot for gardening? I do thorough market research on your home, and have been working in your neighborhood for years, but ultimately, the best person to tell me the best things about the property, are the people who have experienced life in that home. So please, brag about your house to me!