(App)Praise Be: Getting Your House Ready For Appraisal
So you’ve been keeping your eye on the Orange County housing market over the past few months, and you’ve decided that all this talk about right now being a prime seller’s market — plus the balmy weather — have convinced you that it’s time you list your home on the MLS. The time and money you’ve invested in touching up your driveway, repairing the stairwell, and just making your garden look cozy is about to pay off… but first, you’ll need to make sure all of those home improvements and winter projects are up to par with housing market standards.
Yes, it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for (or dreading): home appraisal. What exactly is a home appraisal? Put simply, it’s when a qualified professional conducts a sweep of your home to give you an estimate on how much your home is worth. The appraiser then compares these traits with those of similar, recently sold homes in your area. Their final score helps you determine how you should price your home; a low score means you might have to lower your listing’s asking price to meet demand, while a high score means that your home is likely to appeal to buyers in your area.
On that note, what exactly -are- appraisers looking for when they inspect your home? The good news is that you don’t have to go full Martha Stewart on your remodel. Just a few touchups can make a world of difference. We’ll go over a short list below, along with some tips for meeting their rather stringent demands.
Build a Highlights List
A highlights list catalogues all of your house’s most appealing details. These can be anything from a Midcentury Modern kitchen space, to a stairwell that hasn’t been replaced since the house’s initial construction in the 1940s, to a spacious backyard patio that opens out onto an ocean view. While the highlights list is something you present to an appraiser at the end of the homeselling process, it helps immensely to recognize your property’s greatest strengths early on. This way, you can spend the most time refurbishing and touching up these areas of your home. It also helps you develop an eye for small but important details that make your house unique. Put yourself in a homebuyer’s shoes and find what would most fascinate you!
Street View
This one is exactly what it implies: it’s how your home looks when viewed from outside, across the street. Your house’s façade is the primary detail that will stick in buyers’ minds. It’s also the first thing they’ll see on the listing, and both the house and its surroundings comprise the bulk of the house’s overall ‘character.’ While you can’t exactly control your house’s surroundings (short of a landscaping overhaul, which is very costly and often unnecessary), you -can- invest in the façade we mentioned earlier. Spruce up the garden with fresh plants and some gravel, tidy up the porch, remove any blemishes from the part of the house facing the street. Sometimes, a new paintjob is all you need! Even changes like these can drastically improve your home’s listing value in the eyes of an appraiser.
Basic Facilities
Nobody gets excited about plumbing. Your home’s wiring may have never piqued your interest; in fact, it’s probably been the source of much annoyance throughout your time living there. But the one thing that will really turn off appraisers and potential buyers is a set of faulty facilities. Yes, this means that it’s advisable you check your pipes, cables, water heater, and all of those other not-so-glamorous details that make everyday comfort possible. If there’s one thing that’s worth investing ample funds in, it’s this. Imagine you’re a homebuyer and you learn that the water pipes haven’t been replaced or even checked since the 1970s. You’d understandably dread the nightmarish repair job you’d have to undertake to make your new home’s plumbing even remotely usable! By saving your clients such a headache, you not only enhance your home’s front-facing image, but you also tell your client that you’re doing them a big favor. Win-win!
Contemporary Furnishings
Remote-controlled heating systems, state-of-the-art digital grills, electric car outlets… These things aren’t necessary to bump up the value of your home, but they do make your home more enticing to younger buyers with an extra buck or few to spend. While smarthome appliances might seem out-of-place in a quaint seaside cottage, the contrast between technological eras might actually make the tech seem even more appealing.
Overall Cleanliness
Lastly, clean up your house! Wipe down counters, sweep the floors, hide an air freshener here and there, the list goes on. A presentable home is a home that your potential buyers will want to live in.
A well-maintained home sends homebuyers an important message: I cared deeply for this home, and I know you will too. It not only shows that you know how to put on a good face, but also conveys a level of trust that really makes a perceptive buyer feel valued. That alone can convince homebuyers on the fence to at least take stock in your property. And beyond that, there’s nothing more satisfying than leaving your customers happy.
After reading these tips, do you think your Laguna Beach home is ready for appraisal? Contact Cary Glenn at Main Beach Realty in Laguna Beach, CA. With 20 years of experience buying, selling, and refurbishing luxury real estate in and around Laguna Beach, Cary Glenn will work closely with you to help you find a solution that works best for you.
