{"id":21286,"date":"2023-10-24T04:53:21","date_gmt":"2023-10-24T11:53:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=21286"},"modified":"2026-04-08T11:39:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T18:39:48","slug":"home-appraisal-tips-for-sellers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/home-appraisal-tips-for-sellers\/","title":{"rendered":"Advice from Real Estate Experts: Tips for Sellers on Home Appraisals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you\u2019re a first-time seller or a seasoned pro, the appraisal process used to determine your home\u2019s fair market value<\/a> can be a little intimidating. Lenders require the appraisal to ensure they\u2019re not loaning the buyer more money than the value of the home.<\/p>\n

So if the appraisal comes in lower than the sale price, your buyer will need to come up with the difference in cash or negotiate to lower the sale price. And if you can\u2019t reach an agreement, your buyer can walk away from the deal thanks to their appraisal contingency<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Still, Lonnie Heward,<\/a> a certified appraiser in the Phoenix metro area with over 20 years of experience, emphasizes that an appraisal is nothing to worry about: \u201cThe process is a lot of common sense. We don\u2019t do any magic . . . All an appraiser is, is a glorified reporter. All we do is collect data, put it together in a report, and give it back to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The appraiser<\/a> aims to fairly and impartially determine your home\u2019s value. While most of the appraisal process is out of your hands, there are tangible steps you can take as a seller to ensure a fast and accurate appraisal. We spoke with several appraisers and a top real estate agent to bring you the thirteen best home appraisal tips for sellers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

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

Connect with a Top Agent<\/h3>\n

We’ve crunched the numbers on local housing market data to connect clients with top-performing agents in their area, who statistically sell homes faster and for more money than average agents.<\/p>\n \n

\n Find Agent<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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1. Choose the best offer on your home (hint: it\u2019s not always the highest)<\/h2>\n

The offer you choose may influence the fate of your home appraisal. For example, if you sell to a cash buyer, they may waive the appraisal contingency<\/a> and entirely skip the appraisal. In a strong seller\u2019s market, a buyer may offer to make up the difference between the appraised value and their offer in cash to close the sale.<\/p>\n

Mark Deering<\/a>, a top real estate agent in Grand Rapids, MI, shares, \u201cIn this hot market<\/a>, we see six to 15 offers on a home, and each offer has 30 items that can be negotiable. There\u2019s a lot of variables, and you might not even pick the highest price offer if there\u2019s another one that just has better terms and less contingencies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lean on your real estate agent\u2019s expertise and experience<\/a> to choose the best offer for your selling goals. If you choose an offer with an appraisal contingency, review the deadline<\/a> to ensure it\u2019s reasonable.<\/p>\n

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2. Partner with a real estate agent who knows how to round up comps<\/h2>\n

When an appraiser calculates your home\u2019s market value<\/a>, it all comes down to how your home stacks up against comparable properties<\/a>. Comparable properties, called \u201ccomps,\u201d are homes recently sold in your area with similar characteristics to yours in terms of square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, amenities, and overall condition.<\/p>\n

If you partnered with a top agent, they would have considered comps<\/a> when setting your home\u2019s listing price. So as long as your home sells for close to listing price, there shouldn\u2019t be any surprises when the appraiser comes around. Deering emphasizes:<\/p>\n

\u201cYour agent did a good job of coming up with market value when you listed it . . . so the appraisal is just a formality. The appraiser is just reassuring the bank that\u2019s financing the mortgage that yes, they\u2019re paying $250,000 and yes, it\u2019s worth $250,000.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, say you\u2019re selling in a competitive market where prices are on the rise and your home sells for well above the listing price<\/a>. In this instance, your agent will need to justify why the high sale price is a fair market value. To do so, they can round up the comps for the appraiser and indicate why your home is of equal or higher value to them.<\/p>\n

Rachel Massey<\/a>, a certified appraiser based in Ann Arbor with over 30 years of experience, says that the effectiveness of this strategy depends on the appraiser:<\/p>\n

\u201cAppraisers are individuals, just like agents are. Some will appreciate the \u2018sales\u2019 that are provided. It is up to the appraiser, however, to determine if the sales are \u2018comparable<\/a>.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

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3. Compile a detailed list of recent upgrades<\/h2>\n

While the amount of work and money you put into your home is obvious to you, it may not be obvious to an appraiser. Help them out by providing a detailed list of the upgrades you\u2019ve completed<\/a> in recent years. You\u2019ll rarely see a dollar-for-dollar return on your renovations<\/a>, but they may help boost your home\u2019s overall value.<\/p>\n

Angela Miller<\/a>, a certified appraiser in Tidewater, VA with over 25 years of experience, shares that the market also dictates how much value renovations add. For instance, she recently appraised a condo that sold quickly thanks to a hot seller\u2019s market<\/a>. Although this condo was far more dated than a recently remodeled condo in the same area with a new kitchen and bathroom, the condo only sold for $4,000 less. \u201cI was floored,\u201d she says, but that was what the market valued it at.<\/p>\n

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4. Round up relevant home permits for renovations completed during ownership<\/h2>\n

After you\u2019ve cataloged the upgrades for your home, collect the permits for any projects that require them. Not all appraisers will follow up on these details, but they can ask you for documentation or consult public records<\/a> if they\u2019re particularly diligent or suspicious about a code violation. By providing proof that your renovations are code-compliant, you can help speed up the appraisal process<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Smoothly navigate the closing process using these home appraisal tips for sellers, provided by a licensed home appraiser and a top real estate agent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":223,"featured_media":21290,"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-21286","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 Tips for Sellers: What Real Estate Experts Advise<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Smoothly navigate the closing process using these home appraisal tips for sellers, provided by a licensed expert and a top real estate agent.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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