You can help to make the appraisal visit go much quicker. There are some questions you can answer right away. Before the appraiser gets there, tell them about any upgrades you have put in, such as copper plumbing, new windows, new flooring, new cabinets, landscaping, a new roof, new square footage added, or added rooms. All the upgrades add value to the house, and that helps us select houses that match yours, in order to establish comparable value.

If there are any additions to the house, permanent or not, we need to know. We have to know about them, so we can make a proper adjustment for value. Sometimes, houses are permitted for additions…sometimes, they are not. We’re not going to turn you over to the local building department, if you didn’t secure permits for a home addition.

If the addition looks normal, sometimes, we count it as part of the house. Sometimes, additions are not even close to being up to code. If it’s that badly done, we do note it, but we don’t count it as part of the house. So, the square footage involved is not included in the livable space total.