A practical guide to preparing your home for an appraisal, covering repairs, curb appeal, documentation, and strategies to support the highest defensible valuation.
Last updated:
0 of 32 completed0%
Copied!
Curb Appeal and Exterior
Mow the lawn, trim hedges, and edge walkways
Appraisers form their first impression before entering the house. A well-maintained yard signals overall property care. Professional lawn service for a pre-appraisal cleanup costs $50-$150, but doing it yourself takes 2-3 hours and a weekend morning.
Trim overgrown bushes and tree branches touching the house
Pull weeds from flower beds and walkway cracks
Power wash the driveway, walkways, and exterior walls
A power-washed exterior looks 5-10 years newer. Renting a power washer costs $40-$80/day from most hardware stores. Focus on the front walkway, driveway, and the side of the house visible from the street — these are what the appraiser photographs first.
Repaint or touch up the front door and trim
A freshly painted front door costs under $50 in supplies and takes 2-3 hours. Peeling or faded exterior trim signals deferred maintenance to appraisers. Neutral colors (black, navy, dark green) photograph well and appeal to the broadest range of comparisons.
Replace broken or missing house numbers and mailbox hardware
New house numbers cost $5-$20 and take 15 minutes to install. A damaged or missing mailbox suggests neglect. These are small items, but appraisers note the overall condition of every visible element when scoring the property's exterior rating.
Interior Repairs and Maintenance
Fix all leaky faucets, running toilets, and dripping pipes
A running toilet wastes 200+ gallons of water per day and signals plumbing issues. Most toilet repairs cost $10-$25 in parts and take 30 minutes. Appraisers test faucets and flush toilets — a leak they find gets noted as a functional deficiency.
Replace burned-out light bulbs and broken switch plates
Every light should work when the appraiser flips a switch. Non-functioning lights raise questions about electrical issues. A pack of LED bulbs and a few switch plate covers costs under $20 and eliminates unnecessary red flags from the report.
Patch holes, fill nail pops, and touch up paint on walls
A tube of spackling paste ($5) and a small can of matching paint ($15) can fix dozens of wall imperfections in an afternoon. Walls with multiple unrepaired holes lower the interior condition rating from 'good' to 'average,' which directly affects the appraised value.
Fill and sand all nail holes and wall cracks
Touch up paint in high-traffic areas (hallways, stairwells)
Ensure all doors open, close, and latch properly
Sticking doors, broken knobs, and misaligned strikes are noted as functional issues. Most door adjustments require only a screwdriver and 10 minutes per door. Interior doors that don't latch suggest the house has shifted or settled, which raises structural questions.
Address any visible water stains on ceilings or walls
Water stains trigger concern about active leaks or past water damage, even if the issue was resolved years ago. Prime the stain with a stain-blocking primer ($12/can) and repaint. If the appraiser asks about it, have documentation showing the repair was completed.
Comparable Sales Research
Pull 5-10 recent comparable sales within a half-mile radius
Appraisers weight sales from the last 3-6 months within 0.5 miles most heavily. Focus on homes with similar square footage (within 10%), bedroom/bathroom count, and lot size. Properties sold within 90 days carry the most weight in the appraisal report.
Search public records or listing sites for recent sales
Note sale prices, square footage, and condition of each comp
Identify the 3 highest comparable sales that support your target value
Appraisers choose 3-6 comparables for their report. By presenting your own research showing the highest defensible comps, you give the appraiser data they might not have found independently. Print these with sale prices and addresses to hand over during the visit.
Note any favorable differences between your home and the comps
If your home has a renovated kitchen, extra bathroom, or larger lot than the comps, point this out. Each additional bathroom adds approximately $10,000-$20,000 in adjusted value. A recently remodeled kitchen can add $15,000-$40,000 depending on the market and scope of work.
Documentation of Upgrades
Create a list of all improvements made since purchase
Include the date, cost, and scope of each improvement. A $25,000 kitchen remodel done 2 years ago adds significantly more value than one done 15 years ago. Appraisers cannot account for upgrades they don't know about — this list is your chance to inform them.
List each improvement with date and approximate cost
Attach receipts or contractor invoices where available
Gather permits for any permitted work (additions, electrical, plumbing)
Permitted improvements carry more weight than unpermitted ones. A permitted bathroom addition adds square footage to the official record, while an unpermitted one may be excluded from the appraised value entirely. Pull permit records from your city's building department website.
Document mechanical system replacements (HVAC, water heater, roof)
A new HVAC system ($5,000-$12,000), water heater ($1,500-$3,000), or roof ($8,000-$25,000) extends the effective age of the home. Appraisers adjust for remaining useful life of these systems — a 2-year-old roof vs. a 20-year-old roof can swing the value by $5,000-$15,000.
Cleaning and Staging
Deep clean the entire house before the appraisal
A clean home is perceived as a well-maintained home. Focus on kitchens and bathrooms — these rooms carry the most weight in the interior condition rating. Professional deep cleaning costs $200-$400 for a 3-bedroom house; doing it yourself takes a full day.
Scrub kitchens and bathrooms thoroughly
Vacuum all carpets and mop all hard floors
Declutter every room to show the full square footage
Cluttered rooms look smaller in photographs and in person. Remove excess furniture, clear countertops, and organize closets. Appraisers measure rooms and note their functional utility — a bedroom stuffed with furniture reads as smaller than its actual dimensions.
Ensure all rooms are accessible for measurement
The appraiser needs physical access to every room, the attic, the basement, and the garage. Clear paths to the water heater, electrical panel, and HVAC unit. A room the appraiser cannot enter or measure may be excluded from the gross living area calculation.
Day of the Appraisal
Turn on all lights and open window blinds
Bright, well-lit rooms photograph better and feel larger. Turn on every light in the house 15 minutes before the appraiser arrives. Open all blinds and curtains to maximize natural light. Dark rooms photograph poorly and can negatively influence the condition rating.
Have your improvement list and comps printed and ready
Hand the appraiser a one-page summary of upgrades with dates and costs, plus your 3 best comparable sales with addresses and prices. Most homeowners provide nothing — this sets you apart and gives the appraiser supporting data for a higher valuation.
Be available to answer questions but don't follow the appraiser
Greet the appraiser, offer the documentation, mention key upgrades, then step back. Hovering makes appraisers uncomfortable and can seem like pressure. Stay nearby to answer questions about the home's history, but let them work independently through each room.
Secure pets and remove any obstructions from the yard
Appraisers need to photograph and sometimes measure the exterior. Dogs in the yard, locked gates, or vehicles blocking access to the house slow down the inspection and create a negative impression. Kennel pets or have someone take them for a walk during the visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a home appraisal cost and who pays for it?
A standard residential appraisal costs $350-$600, with the buyer typically paying this fee as part of the mortgage origination process. Complex or high-value properties, rural homes requiring long-distance travel, and multi-unit properties (2-4 units) can cost $600-$1,000+. The lender orders the appraisal through an Appraisal Management Company (AMC) — neither the buyer nor seller can choose or communicate directly with the appraiser to preserve independence.
What improvements increase my home's appraisal value the most?
Kitchen and bathroom updates have the strongest appraisal impact, with minor kitchen remodels recovering 70-80% of their cost and bathroom updates recovering 60-70%. Fresh interior paint in neutral colors, refinished hardwood floors, and professional landscaping each add 2-5% to the appraisal value at relatively low cost. Major systems in good condition (roof under 10 years old, updated HVAC, modern electrical panel) remove "condition adjustments" that appraisers use to mark down value by $5,000-$20,000.
Can I challenge a low appraisal?
Yes — you can request a Reconsideration of Value (ROV) through your lender within 1-2 weeks of receiving the appraisal report. Submit 3-5 comparable sales the appraiser may have missed, factual errors (wrong square footage, missing bedroom, incorrect condition rating), and documentation of recent improvements with costs. About 15-25% of ROV requests result in an adjusted value, though the appraiser is not obligated to change their opinion.
How long before listing should I get a pre-listing appraisal?
Get a pre-listing appraisal 2-4 weeks before going on the market so you have time to address any issues the appraiser identifies. The cost is $350-$600 out of pocket (the seller pays in this case), but it prevents the shock of a buyer's appraisal coming in low and derailing a sale 30 days into the transaction. A pre-listing appraisal is particularly valuable in rapidly changing markets where comparable sales from 3-6 months ago may not reflect current conditions.