Preparing For An Appraisal - Plan For It
By Raynor James, Fri Dec 9th

A critical part of selling a home is the appraisal. Here's howto plan for it.

You have a contract to sell your home and now the appraiser iscoming. The appraisal needs to come in at a good price in orderfor your buyer to get his loan. What should you do?

The Appraiser Says

Appraisers typically tell people not to do anything specialbefore they come. They tell the owner they see lots of housesand they can look past a little clutter and dust. "Don't benervous," they counsel. Appraisers are sincere people. I'm surethey mean what they say.

I Say

On the other hand, appraisers are human. They



respond tocleanliness and order and to good maintenance the same waybuyers do. If you've let your hair down, get your home back into"show" condition before the appraiser comes.

Everything you know about a tidy approach to your home, wellmulched flower beds, door knobs that are attached firmly andwork smoothly, lack of finger prints, lack of clutter, and allthe rest applies. Take a look at a "Uniform ResidentialAppraisal Report" form if you doubt me. The age of the home andthe "effective age" are asked for under the "GeneralDescription." Don't you think how well your home appears to becared for affects the number that appears under "effective age?"

The Uniform Appraisal Report requires information aboutmaterials (and their condition) used for floors, walls, trim andfinishing elements, bathroom floors and wainscots, and forinterior doors. Appraisers train themselves to notice thesedetails. If yours are dusted, polished, and free of scratchesand fingerprints, don't you think you might be giving yourappraisal a nudge in the right direction?

The Report also asks about kitchen equipment (refrigerator,range and oven, disposal, dishwasher, fan and hood, microwave,and washer and dryer). Do you think it'd be a good idea to havethem clean and purring?

The Report asks about amenities such as fireplaces, patios,decks, porches, fences, pools, and sheds. If an appraiser isgoing to take special note of such things, shouldn't they beswept, cleaned, and have paint in good condition? Also, cleanout the gutters if they need it. If it should be raining on theday your appraisal is done, you want your house to handle therain water well.

Let me share the "comments" section of an appraisal which gotthe owners what they wanted. I think it'll give you a good feelfor what you need to do. "The subject is well maintained and nophysical, functional or external inadequacies were noted.Marketability is enhanced by hardwood flooring throughout amajority of the home, an updated kitchen, fresh interior andexterior paint, transom windows, built-ins, a front porch, arear patio, a large storage shed, 4 fireplaces, etc."

The appraiser is a human being. Make sure you do everything youcan to appeal to them and you'll get a good appraisal.

About the author:Raynor James is with the FSBO site - http://www.fsboamerica.org- FSBO homes For Sale By Owner. Visit our "sell my home" page-http://www.fsboamerica.org/seller.cfm - to sell your houseyourself with a free 1 month listing.

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