As a local bay area real estate appraiser, I have been asked many times by homeowners, what can I do to my home prior to the appraiser’s inspection to help in determining a better value of my home? What does an appraiser look at? How closely does the real estate appraiser look? I will attempt to answer the third question, first.

The appraiser walks in and around the home as if he/she were a perspective buyer, looking at the condition of the landscape, exterior of the home, roof and then the interior, kitchen, bathroom(s), quality of materials used in the home and their age and condition. Now what does an appraiser look at? The appraiser will not look for hidden things and is not responsible to the lender/client for any hidden problems. All the appraiser does is a visual inspection, what can he see with his eyes. The final question, what can homeowner’s do prior to a property inspection. Remember, first impressions are the most important and exterior photo’s are part of the appraisal process so, neat and trim landscape (front, side and rear yards), if needed, paint or touch-up the exterior of the home (remove any peeling paint). Remove any debris from around the house. One thing an appraiser will remember is when he or she is tripping around the home because of scattered debris (CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR DOG). As far as the interior goes, freshly painted rooms are important. A clean and neat kitchen is just as important as a newly remodeled/updated one. The age of the kitchen and bathrooms help the appraiser in determining value (a buyer will look very closely at kitchen and bathrooms).

Ask yourself this question, to get the best value of my home, is the property ready to be put on the open market for all the public to see?