{"id":14705,"date":"2026-01-05T02:00:34","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T10:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=14705"},"modified":"2026-01-05T21:06:53","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T05:06:53","slug":"buyer-how-long-does-an-appraisal-take","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-long-does-an-appraisal-take\/","title":{"rendered":"How Long Does An Appraisal Take? What Should I Expect As A Buyer?"},"content":{"rendered":"

So, you found your dream home, made an offer, and (congrats!) the seller accepted. But before you can call this place yours, in order to get your financing, you\u2019re going to need a home appraisal<\/a>. That way, you\u2019ll know exactly how much your property is worth, and your lender can feel secure in their investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

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\n \"homelight\n <\/div>\n \n

Get a Free Home Value Estimate<\/h3>\n

Enter a few details about your home, and we\u2019ll provide you with a preliminary estimate of value in less than two minutes. This won\u2019t replace a comparative market analysis (CMA) or home appraisal, but it can be a helpful starting point.<\/p>\n \n

\n Request Estimate<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The appraisal can make or break your mortgage<\/a> loan. You may be feeling a little bit antsy right now \u2014 which is a perfectly normal feeling, according to Alan Daniels<\/a>, a real estate agent who ranks in the top 1% of Colorado Springs, Colorado<\/a>, agents.<\/p>\n

Buyers want to make sure that the home appraises at least at the sales price, he says. If it doesn\u2019t, it creates another round of negotiation \u201cand the potential of not closing.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the appraisal may take longer than the home inspection<\/a>, it generally won\u2019t take long enough to leave you on the edge of your seat. Here\u2019s everything you need to know about the appraisal process, including how long an appraisal should take and what to expect.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

What is an appraisal?<\/h2>\n

Despite working out a price between you and the seller, an appraisal report is created by a licensed third-party appraiser to determine the value of the home<\/a>. Appraisals are typically required by a mortgage lender so they can determine how much they are willing to lend, but sellers will sometimes have appraisals done before listing the house and then will price the property accordingly.<\/p>\n

The buyer typically pays for any appraisal<\/a> required by the lender, which costs <\/a>anywhere between $314 and $423<\/a> on average, though Daniels says it can run upward of $500 or even $900, especially if the home is located in a rural location, which will require a larger trip fee. The lender is the one who will hire an appraiser<\/a> and will receive the appraisal report.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How long does an appraisal take? Real estate appraisals in 2026 typically take between 6 and 20 days, but certain factors may impact this timeline. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":150,"featured_media":46003,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[192,704,646],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-buyers","category-buyer-appraisal","category-making-offers"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow Long Does An Appraisal Take in 2026? Here\u2019s What To Expect<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How long does an appraisal take? 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Real estate appraisals in 2026 typically take 6 to 20 days, but certain factors may impact this timeline.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-long-does-an-appraisal-take\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"HomeLight Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gohomelight\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-05T10:00:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-06T05:06:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/hl-blog.homelight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Untitled-design-2024-07-22T230606.585-min-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"564\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Alesandra Dubin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@alicedubin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@gohomelight\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Alesandra Dubin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How Long Does An Appraisal Take in 2026? 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