How
to
Prepare
for
an
Appraisal
For
homeowners,
a
real
estate
appraisal
is
the
linchpin
to
buying
or
selling
their
home.
It
allows
the
property
transactions
to
occur
among
the
buyer,
seller,
real
estate
agent
and
mortgage
lender.
To
facilitate
the
appraisal
process,
it's
beneficial
to
have
these
documents
ready
for
the
appraiser:
-
A
plot
plan
or
survey
of
the
house
and
land
(if
readily
available)
-
Information
on
the
latest
purchase
of
the
property
in
the
last
three
years
-
Written
property
agreements,
such
as
a
maintenance
agreement
for
a
shared
driveway
-
List
of
personal
property
to
be
sold
with
the
home
-
Title
policy
that
describes
encroachments
or
easements
-
Most
recent
real
estate
tax
bill
and
or
legal
description
of
the
property
-
Home
inspection
reports,
or
other
recent
reports
for
termites,
EIFS
(synthetic
stucco)
wall
systems,
septic
systems
and
wells
-
Brag
sheet
that
lists
major
home
improvements
and
upgrades,
the
date
of
their
installation
and
their
cost
(for
example,
the
addition
of
central
air
conditioning
or
roof
repairs)
and
permit
confirmation
(if
available)
-
A
copy
of
the
current
listing
agreement
and
broker's
data
sheet
and
Purchase
Agreement
if
a
sale
is
"pending".
-
Information
on
"Homeowners
Associations"
or
condominium
covenants
and
fees.
-
A
list
of
"Proposed"
improvements
if
the
property
is
to
be
appraised
"As
Complete".
Once
your
appraiser
has
arrived,
you
do
not
need
to
accompany
him
or
her
along
on
the
entire
site
inspection,
but
you
should
be
available
to
answer
questions
about
your
property
and
be
willing
to
point
out
any
home
improvements.
Here
are
some
other
suggestions:
-
Accessibility:
Make
sure
that
all
areas
of
the
home
are
accessible,
especially
to
the
attic
and
crawl
space
-
Housekeeping:
Appraisers
see
hundreds
of
homes
a
year
and
will
look
past
most
clutter,
but
they're
human
beings
too!
A
good
impression
can
translate
into
a
higher
home
value
-
Maintenance:
Repair
minor
things
like
leaky
faucets,
missing
door
handles
and
trim
-
FHA
Inspection
Items:
If
your
borrower
is
applying
for
an
FHA
loan,
be
sure
to
ask
your
appraiser
if
there
are
specific
things
that
should
be
done
before
they
come.
Some
items
they
may
recommend
might
be:
Install
smoke
detectors
on
all
levels
(especially
near
bedrooms);
install
handrails
on
all
stairways;
remove
peeling
paint
and
repaint
the
effected
area;
provide
inspection
access
to
the
attic
and
crawl
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