If you’re trying to sell your home in today’s market, you may be faced with a lowball appraisal that could threaten a loan. Even the nicest houses are being downgraded, and if your area has had a lot of foreclosures, getting a good appraisal may be next to impossible. However, there are some great techniques that you can employ that can affect your appraisal value by more than 15%.
First, it is important to know where to start in your home. If you have a basement that is not yet finished, you may think that adding some rooms and living space down there will help your appraisal. In actuality, it is the above ground living space that is worth more, so you will want to focus your efforts on the first floor.
While painting, cleaning and generally keeping the house tidy can affect an appraisal, it won’t do much good if you’re looking for a big jump in the amount. What you need to do on the inside of your home is work on bringing in appliances and fixtures that are valuable, both in perception and in use. For example, adding a marble countertop to your kitchen will add more value than covering an old one with contact paper (and yes, that is pretty common.)
Likewise, completely redoing and remodeling your kitchen to include brand new stainless steel appliances will also bump your appraisal up. When you’re looking at the interior of your home, the focus needs to be on items that matter, such as those mentioned above. However, the interior is secondary to the exterior when it comes to a high appraisal value.
By focusing on the exterior of your property you can see a huge improvement in the overall appraisal amount. Landscaping alone can be responsible for a low or a high appraisal, depending on how it is done. According to a Gallup poll, landscaping can increase the overall value of a home by 7 to 15%. Let’s say your home is worth $250,000. The right landscaping has the potential to change that to $287,500 or more.
One tree can be worth anywhere from $1000 to $10,000, once it is mature. If you think about how little it takes to plant one tree, that is very impressive. So, your first focus should be on the yard area and your overall landscaping. Hiring a professional company can help, but most of these tasks can be completed on your own.
How your house looks will also have a big impact on the appraisal value. If it has been a few years since you painted, or your yard is full of junk, this will result in a lower appraisal. Your goal is to make your house look like a million bucks from the street, and this will help you get a higher appraisal. In addition, by focusing on that curb appeal, you’ll be much more likely to sell the home for the full amount that you need.
Photo Credits: 1
Originally posted 2008-09-15 05:09:24. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Closing Down a House for the Winter Whether you have a vacation home that will not be in use for the winter, or you will be gone from your home for an extended period of time this season, it is a good idea to properly close up your home for the winter. This is not difficult and...... -
How to Clean Your Own Gutters If your house is equipped with gutters and you can't remember the last time they were cleaned, it's best to get proactive and do it yourself. While there are services that can come do this for you, it's actually quite easy and just about anyone can do it safely. Before...... -
How to Design an Exterior Lighting Plan When it comes to focusing on curb appeal, many homeowners get caught up with plantings and fixtures, but fail to find ways to highlight all of their hard work. Whenever you add something new to the outside of your home, you're going to want to show it off! Simple...... -
The Credit Crunch and Your Home - Raise its Value With the recent economic crisis, a lot of individuals are worried about property values in light of the current events. While nothing can be said to predict just how everything can pan out, there are steps that you can perform to raise the value of your home and give yourself...... -
What Does Your Home’s Curb Appeal Say? Whether you are selling your home, or you just want it to look its best, curb appeal is something that must be focused on. You can add quite a bit of value to your home with just a few simple fixes, but before you start, it is important to think......
Related Websites -
Buying A First Home by John Dashwood Couples who are seeking their first home can get caught up in the excitement of owning their first home and not pay close attention to details. The first hurdle is the down payment. Most lenders require a 10% to 20% down payment toward the purchase price of...... -
Country Garden Landscaping to Increase the Value of your Property One of the best ways that you can make your home look larger and more inviting is by designing your garden in a clever way so that it can serve as something of an extension to the rest of your living space. By doing this, you will be adding a...... - What To Know Before Bidding On A Foreclosed Home by John Dashwood In the last year and a half foreclosures in the United States have been commonplace. Banks and mortgage lenders have many properties they must sell to recoup their loans. At foreclosure auctions, houses often sell for a fraction of their market value. This sounds perfect for people......
- How We Sold Our Home Ourselves (FSBO) A few years ago we sold our house on our own with no real estate agent, you know, with the big "For Sale By Owner" (FSBO) sign out front of the house. In preparation for this, we did a number of things to get our then 10-year-old house sold. Of......
-
Introduction to Mortgages pt 3 of 5 This is part three in a five part series on what you need to know about mortgages before you buy a home. The housing market is an interesting beast, because it comes and goes, rises and falls, allows some people to flourish and brings others to ruins. If you want......
- Mixers Small Kitchen Appliances Kitchen, Dining & Bar Home Store
- Food Warmers Small Kitchen Appliances Kitchen, Dining & Bar Home Store
- Ice Cream Makers Small Kitchen Appliances Kitchen, Dining & Bar Home Store
- Teakettles Small Kitchen Appliances Kitchen, Dining & Bar Home Store
- Water Filters Small Kitchen Appliances Kitchen, Dining & Bar Home Store
Categories:
Aesthetics, Basement, Countertops, Curb Appeal, Handy Man, House Value, Kitchen, Landscape, Outside, Yard
Tags:
2 comments ↓
You said… landscaping can change the “value of a home by 7 to 15%. Let’s say your home is worth $250,000. The right landscaping has the potential to change that to $375,000.”
Seems like that $375k may be a typo? 15% of $250k is $37,500 + $250 = $287,500.
@John
Good catch!!! Fixed.
Leave a Comment