Get the house ready. Skip the stuff that changes nothing.
An appraiser is measuring, photographing and comparing. A tidy house helps, a repainted house mostly does not.
Here is what genuinely moves the needle, what people waste a weekend on, and the paperwork worth having on the counter when they knock.
What helps and what does not
Access, accuracy and documentation help. Cosmetic panic does not.
Worth doing
- Open everything up. Attic hatches, crawl spaces, electrical panels, gates, sheds and any room behind a stuck door.
- Clear a path. The appraiser needs to reach every wall to measure and photograph.
- Fix anything that reads as deferred maintenance. A dripping tap, a cracked pane, a missing handrail, a torn screen.
- Find the permits for any finished basement, addition or converted garage.
- Write down what you have upgraded and roughly when. Roof, HVAC, windows, electrical, plumbing.
- Secure the dog. It sounds trivial. It is the single most common reason an inspection runs short.
Not worth the weekend
- Repainting rooms that were fine. Condition is rated in bands, not by freshness.
- Staging furniture. The appraiser values the property, not the presentation.
- Deep cleaning beyond normal tidiness. Clutter only matters when it blocks access.
- New landscaping days before. It reads as new landscaping.
- Leaving out a list of what you think the house is worth. It cannot be used.
- Following the appraiser room to room. Be available, then give them space to work.
How the visit usually runs
Exterior first
They walk the perimeter, photograph each elevation, check the roof and foundation from outside, and note the site.
Measuring
The exterior footprint gets measured for the sketch. This is where gross living area comes from, so blocked walls cost accuracy.
Interior
Room count, condition, quality, updates, and a photograph of every room plus mechanicals.
Desk work
Most of the job happens after they leave. Pulling comparable sales, making adjustments and writing the report.
The visit is the short part. The research that follows is where the value actually gets formed.
Have these on the counter
A single page of facts saves an appraiser guessing, and guessing never helps you.
Permits for finished space. A survey or plat if you have one. Dates and rough cost for major systems. HOA documents and dues. Any recent inspection report. If the property has income, a rent roll and lease terms.
Hand it over, mention it is there, then step back. Facts are welcome. Opinions about value are not, because appraiser independence rules stop them being used.
Who to call when it is a real job
Preparation only goes so far. For the appraisal itself, these three do this work for a living.
Tyler Kane is a Certified Residential Appraiser on the FHA roster, working north Phoenix and the northeast Valley.
Book an Arizona appraisal with TyCorp IncWeston Groll runs Apex Appraising out of American Fork and covers 52 cities across 8 Utah counties.
See Weston Groll's Utah coveragePocket Appraisal handles residential valuation work across the country.
Start with Pocket AppraisalStraight answers
Does cleaning my house raise the appraised value?
Should I tell the appraiser what I think the home is worth?
What if a room is blocked or locked on the day?
Do repairs I made without a permit count?
Something specific to your property?
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