How To Boost Your Property Appraisal Value

No matter the home, the size, the market, or location, there are a couple of universal tips and tricks you can do to improve a home's valuation. Even if you have a small house or an apartment, you can still do a couple of things to make your property sell for more.

This article contains 17 tips that you can use to help bring up your property's value to its absolute peak.

This is designed as an informative article, please ensure you have approached your accountant, real estate agent and seek professional advice for your home before undertaking any suggestions.

1. Do Everything Before The Home Appraiser Arrives

Home appraisers are professionals in their field using various factors to determine the value of your property. These appraisers use a critical eye and they have only one job; to find a fair market value price for your property.

Before starting this step, find an agent and ask for their advice for home styling tips that you could use. However, styling won't impress the appraiser, but it's an important step none-the-less. It may influence a buyer but the appraiser more cares about the quality of materials used in the bones of the building and the land valuation.

White Wooden Cupboards

All you need to do is keep things neat and uncluttered for when an appraisal takes place and focus on the fittings and make sure that there are no excuses for an appraiser to write up a work order.

When your place is finally ready, you should not have a leaking tap, squeaky doors or running toilets. The appraiser will check everything critically, so you need to have everything up to scratch.

2. Improve the First Impression

What is the first thing the appraiser is going to see when he comes to your door? The main gate itself! He or she might get a glimpse of the lawn if you have one. Make a lasting first impression by making sure the entrance of your home is impressive. 

External Home Appeal

Paint the front door, add some plants, trim the lawn, and if you want to improve the appeal, then find something that can be added at a low price, that gives your property that wow factor!

3. Clean the House Thoroughly

Nobody wants to see a dirty, and/or a messy home with items strewn around everywhere. Cleaning the house is obvious, but it is an overly underlooked rule of selling a home. Scrub all the bathroom walls and the kitchen tiles until they sparkle. 

Make sure you don’t neglect any corner of the house where dirt can accumulate, make sure everything is put neatly to give your house an attractive look. A clean home always gives a great impression.

Clean homes give the idea that the house has been well maintained, and the previous owner was a tidy person. Cleanliness goes a long way in boosting the value of your property.

4. Focus on the Windows

Low-cost projects can end up paying you back in the long run. Are your windows clean? Is the design outdated? 

If the window design is outdated, you could either replace the windows to boost the value of your property or get the windows repainted to match a more modern style, or a style that matches the home. 

Focus on new windows

Make sure that the windows are clean, and there is no dirt accumulated in them. Additionally, you could also get your curtains replaced and get blinds instead to help give your house a more contemporary look.

5. Talk to A Property Sales Agent

If you want tips on how to improve the value of your house, the best way to do that is by employing the help of a property agent near your area. Property agents regularly deal in buy-sell activities of homes.

Meet with your agent

A professional property agent will be able to guide you better, and they will be more aware of the current trends, and market within your area.

The agent will also physically evaluate your home and may be able to identify numerous things that you could do to appeal to the broader audience.

Make sure you're properly comparing agents, as there is always someone who will work harder, at a rate that you both agree on.

6. Get Your Floors Polished

If your wooden floors have started showing damage, then getting them polished or repaired might be a great idea! 

Our floors wear down over time and can be a significant price determinant. Many buyers would pay extra just for the convenience of not having to do the major repair work by themselves and this, if played right, can work out in your favor.

Keep the floors looking good

 If your floors are tiled, then you could consider getting the tiles replaced if the tiles have become discolored or have worn down with use.

7. Show Your Efforts

If you’ve spent money on the house, you need to show it to the appraiser. Take before and after pictures and create spreadsheets to mark the improvements.

Before and after pictures can help persuade an appraiser to quote a higher price than the initial amount if you’ve got any lighting fixtures made or made any electrical or sanitary improvements. Do let your appraiser know.

Things like new plumbing, electrical, lighting and fixtures can go unseen, but add enormous value from an appraiser's perspective.

8. Reduce The Number Of Things You Have

It is essential to make sure that your house does not give a cluttered appearance to the onlooker. Instead, your home should be giving a chic and spacious look to help bring a better valuation.

Declutter your home

Throw out, or sell all the unnecessary items that you own. You could even store them elsewhere. Make sure your kitchen cabinets are not full to the brim with cooking utensils and cutlery. 

Decluttering your space is beneficial for you as well as it helps you get rid of many things that you don’t need or use. It also enables you to reduce the amount of stuff you will need to move once you’re moving out.

9. Make Sure The House Does Not Stink

If you own pets or small children, then you need to make sure that the house does not smell or give off bad odors before a buyer inspection. Clean the pet's litter and throw out the trash.

Often piled up laundry also tends to accumulate smell; make sure to put all your laundry in the wash and spray air freshener all over the house to mask any bad odors.

You will also need to be careful about anyone being allergic to pets if you own pets, please make sure the pets are in their cages for the duration.

10. Bathrooms Need To Be Perfect!

Bathrooms have grown more important, and people prefer restrooms with beautiful vanities and a useful but also aesthetically appealing storage cabinet.

Bathrooms to look amazing

Make sure your bathroom countertops are clean, and the tiles do not have any grit or grime on them. Check if all the sanitary fittings work, and if needed, you could get them polished or replaced.

A beautiful vanity can go a long way into even wooing your appraiser. You could also invest in aesthetic lighting that can help make the bathrooms look cozy and appealing.

11. The Master Bedroom Needs To Be Appealing

Move the furniture towards the walls to make the master bedroom appear more spacious. You could also invest in soft yellow lighting to give the room a comfortable glow.

Tidy Bedrooms

Talk to a home stylist for the best lighting options that you could invest in to help improve the charm of your home or your rooms. You could hang a few lamps or buy a few bedside lamps to make your rooms look inviting.

Another inexpensive way to make your rooms look better than ever is by placing a lot of small cushions on the bed and spreading linen bedsheets that complement the theme of your room. If you’re doubtful about the color, use white bedsheets.

12. Keep the Cabinets Spacious

A cabinet or closet filled to the brim with clothes will not look good to the buyer. The appraiser will cover every inch of the house and even request to see the cabinets so that they have an idea of the storage space of the home. 

Cupboards to be decluttered

A good rule of thumb is to keep at least 30% of the cabinet free. Make sure all your clothes are correctly folded and neatly stacked, so that gives out a good impression.

Showing plenty of storage options to a property valuer can help bring a better valuation due to better storage options.

13. Add Homely Effects

You can add small homely things to your home by keeping fresh fruit or vegetables on the kitchen counters. Make sure the oven and everything else in the kitchen are clean before an inspection. Little things like these can make the appraiser more calm and relaxed.

Add flowers, a vase or two and small decorative decorations around the home to make the home feel more comfortable and friendly.

14. Declutter Your Bookshelves

If you own bookshelves, try arranging your books in order of size and color. Neatly stacked books give a neat impression and can look great in the dining room!

Declutter Space on Bookshelf

A neat and tidy bookshelf can make your space look sophisticated, and it can make your living space more orderly. If your bookshelves do not have many books, you could also use bookends and add small potted plants to make the area look aesthetic.

15. Do all relevant checks for a modern home. 

Home appraisers look at all the elements in a home and asses the quality of materials used. Home appraisers will be assessing both the interior and the exterior of a home and will value your property on the materials used.

Materials like hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, and stone countertops are always in demand, and if your home has these features, then the chances are that it will sell at a high price.

The plumbing and the flooring and roofing all contribute towards a home's value. Updating your kitchen and your bathroom can help you significantly in appraising the value of the house.

16. Know Your Target Audience

Many factors go into the value of your home. Your property will attract a certain type of person based on its size and its location. The distance to the local stores and schools will also be an essential factor in the pricing. 

The closer and more connected your home is to shopping centers and schools, the higher the market price and the higher the demand. The higher the market value of your location, the more the appraisal amount.

Meet with your audience

Larger homes sell for more, and houses with a lot of internal modifications also sell for more. If your home is close to a market place and schools, then it will also attract more people and will be appraised higher than a home that is far away from any grocery market.

Once you’ve correctly identified the target audience, you can tailor the modifications that you would want to make in your home to their general preferences.

17. A Property Appraisal Isn’t The Only Thing

A property appraisal isn’t the only thing in the world. Before making any decisions, it is essential to weigh the pros and cons carefully.

The best approach is to talk to a home styling agent and take professional advice. Do not get carried away by doing too many modifications to your place in hopes of a higher value. 

The value of your home will not double or triple just because of the money you’ve invested in it, and you might not even be able to get back a good return. Make smart investments that can save everyone’s time.

Your potential buyers will always see your property through a critical eye, no matter what you do. Stay focused on getting a higher value but don’t get carried away.