After we greet you at the front door, we measure the perimeter of your home from the exterior including the garage, from which we sketch a diagram, as well as any outbuildings. Also, we photograph the street scene in front of your house, the front, and rear of the dwelling, as well as from each of the four corners, where possible, along with other amenities such as view, porch, decking, patio, landscaping, barn, shop and other outbuildings. For lender appraisals, we will request access to the interior of these outbuildings for photos.
Typically, we do not measure interior walls, other than for airspace condominiums. In most cases, we do take interior photos, primarily of the living room, kitchen, bedrooms and baths, and may take a photograph of every room in the house, along with the attic and crawl space for FHA and VA lenders.
Appraiser observes your property, similar to the way a knowledgeable buyer would view the it, which includes the following: flooring materials, kitchen cabinets, counters, appliances, tub/shower surround materials and overall design and floor plan flow, as well as any observed and significant deferred maintenance (ceiling leaks, aging roofs, torn carpet, etc. as an example). Please also, tell us about any special features which may not be readily observable, such as heating, cooling and security systems, recent major upgrades and remodeling items. Lastly, we will ask you if there is anything you would like to tell us about your home.
Often times, we have traveled some distance to see your home, sometimes seeing another home before your’s, and while we do our best to be prompt, its not always practical to predict the precise time of our arrival, and therefore we are likely to offer a period of the day to meet you, such as early afternoon, between 1 and 3 pm, rather than a specific time.
A typical real estate appraisal appointment takes between 30 – 60 minutes, depending on the complexity of your dwelling and property.
You can do several simple things to enhance the appearance of your home in the photos for the appraisal, by turning the lights on, moving vehicles away from the home, as well as anything you can do to reduce the clutter in the main living areas.
We thank you for containing your pets and letting us know of their presence in the home, as well as the presence of any other residents who may be home, as the photos we take need to exclude family members.
