Home Appraisal: Making An Excellent First Impression

Now that you have decided to list your 32095 homes for sale, the next step is to prepare for your appraisal.  Appraisals are designed to estimate the fair market value of your home. It considers factors like the location and condition of the house and the prices of recent sales of similar homes in the area. 

Only licensed experts—called appraisers—can complete a home appraisal process. They come into the homes for sale in Fruit Cove, FL, for a comprehensive assessment and to reveal how much the home is worth to the seller and buyer at the end of the process. The exact duration or timeframe for approval depends on a few factors, but it often ranges from a few hours to an entire day. 

Away from what an appraisal is and how it works, let’s look at how you can get the best out of your upcoming appraisal as a homeowner in Jacksonville who has listed their 32084 homes for sale. 

Start with the Curb Appeal

The first and easiest way to impress your appraiser is to get your property’s curb appeal right. While the appraisers mostly look out for the overall condition of your home, it is not limited to the interiors only. Simple things like painting the façade, keeping the front yard clean and organized, and landscaping your lawn can improve your curb appeal and help you make a brilliant first impression on the appraiser. 

Giving your home a great curb appeal will impress the appraiser and tilts the report of the visual review in your favor.  

Clean Everywhere

Let’s move to the interior. Experienced realtors in St Johns have reported that having your home clean and clutter-free is a proven way of scoring high in appraisals. You probably knew that. But you did not know that cleaning for appraisals is different from the everyday cleaning you do when you have not listed your 32092 homes for sale. 

Cleaning for an appraisal requires deep cleaning of your home’s nooks and crannies. Ensure the deep cleaning comes up a few days before the appraisal, and follow this up with a routine cleaning in the early hours of the appraisal day. 

Identify and Execute Necessary Repairs

Your home’s appraised value will decrease if appraisers discover there are certain essential repairs to be made. Your St Johns realtor will most likely advise you to pick out these repairs and make them as soon as possible. Your chances of receiving the highest appraisal are better when your 32084 homes for sale need no repairs. 

So, scrutinize your home and see if any part needs attention. Look for broken windows, doorknobs, scratched walls, and patio screens. Ensure your safety and security devices, including fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, are functioning correctly. 

You should also document these repairs and upgrades, including costs and dates of execution, and present them to the appraiser. 

Make All Areas of Your Home Accessible

Ensure that the inspecting individual can access all areas of your home. This includes the rooms, closets, attics, and basement. If you have specific places locked up or inaccessible, you should clear them up before the appraiser’s arrival. They must access all areas to capture every feature and part of the house in their reports. 

Involve your Real Estate Agent

You can decide to handle your preparation for appraisal singlehandedly. However, bringing your St Johns realtor into the picture is advisable. Your home’s appraised value often depends on how it compares with similar properties listed in your area in recent times. Your agent can help with this research and provide the appraisers with the necessary information to make the process easier. Your realtor in St Johns can also offer professional advice on how to get the best out of your appraisal process as a seller. 

If you want to list your homes for sale in Fruit Cove, FL, experienced real estate agent, Sarah Schwartz, can help you make excellent first impressions during your appraisal. My years of experience in the system have helped me understand the local area and know what works.