{"id":17687,"date":"2025-09-03T02:00:55","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T09:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=17687"},"modified":"2025-09-08T20:23:31","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T03:23:31","slug":"home-appraisal-checklist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/home-appraisal-checklist\/","title":{"rendered":"Home Appraisal Checklist: A Guide for Sellers"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019re so close to closing<\/a>. You\u2019ve agreed on price, a move-in date, and a million other tiny details necessary for the buyers to take possession of this property. The only thing that stands between you and a sale is the appraisal<\/a>.<\/p>\n

After being under the microscope at open houses and inspection, you may wonder: What\u2019s the point of this final examination? What\u2019s it going to take for your home to pass and get a great home appraisal?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the ultimate guide to helping you through the appraisal process.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n

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

Get a Home Value Estimate Before Your House Is Appraised<\/h3>\n

It won’t replace a home appraisal, but HomeLight can provide a free preliminary value of home value in under two minutes. Consider it a starting point.<\/p>\n \n

\n Get Estimate <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/div><\/p>\n

Home appraisal checklist: What appraisers look for<\/h2>\n

A home appraisal is an objective assessment of your home value conducted by a licensed, professional appraiser. Appraisers<\/a> consider all aspects of your home. These typically include:<\/p>\n

Structure, condition, and size<\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Square footage of house<\/li>\n
  • The number of bedrooms and bathrooms<\/li>\n
  • Type of foundation<\/li>\n
  • Building materials<\/li>\n
  • The presence of a basement, crawl space, or attic<\/li>\n
  • Cosmetic updates and desirability of finishes<\/li>\n
  • Evidence of deferred maintenance or adverse conditions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    External characteristics<\/h3>\n
      \n
    • Neighborhood setting<\/li>\n
    • Zoning classification<\/li>\n
    • Lot size<\/li>\n
    • Driveway condition<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Additions and updates<\/h3>\n
        \n
      • Energy-efficient features<\/li>\n
      • Fireplaces or wood stoves<\/li>\n
      • Fencing<\/li>\n
      • Patios, porches, or decks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Why proper prep makes or breaks your appraisal<\/b><\/h2>\n

        The appraiser will look at features of your home and create an unbiased opinion of its value \u2013 so what is there to prepare for? As you can see from the list above, certain features of your home cannot be changed, such as the neighborhood setting and zoning classification. However, certain additions and updates \u2014 or the lack thereof \u2014 can make or break this crucial step in selling your home. From gathering your receipts for updates to tidying up on the day of the appraisal, there are things you can do to help the appraiser fully appreciate the condition of your home.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Use our simple home appraisal checklist so that your house is ready for the onsite visit and you aren\u2019t surprised by the outcome.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":305,"featured_media":46808,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[242,322],"tags":[729],"class_list":["post-17687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home-appraisals","category-logistics","tag-preparing-for-the-appraisal"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHome Appraisal Checklist: A Complete Guide for Sellers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Use our simple home appraisal checklist so that your house is ready for the onsite visit and you aren\u2019t surprised by the outcome.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/home-appraisal-checklist\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Home Appraisal Checklist: A Guide for Sellers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Use our simple home appraisal checklist so that your house is ready for the onsite visit and you aren\u2019t surprised by the outcome.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/home-appraisal-checklist\/\" \/>\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=\"2025-09-03T09:00:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-09T03:23:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/hl-blog.homelight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Untitled-design-2024-08-09T215648.757-min.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=\"Adrian E. 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