For homeowners, a real estate appraisal is often an important part of a bigger process. Whether buying or selling a home, refinancing, estate planning, or using the appraisal for litigation, the opinion of market value can be an integral part of the process. Typically a financial decision will be made based on the value of the home.

To facilitate the appraisal process, it’s beneficial to have these documents ready for the appraiser:

• Feature 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 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.
• Most recent real estate tax bill and or legal description of the property.
• Information on “Homeowners Associations” or condominium covenants and fees.
• A list of “Proposed” improvements if the property is to be appraised “As Complete”.
• You do not need to accompany him or her along on the entire site inspection, however, be available to answer questions about your property and to point out any home improvements.
• If there are any items that you feel will affect the value of the home, please point them out. The appraiser will consider all relevant factors.

Here are some other suggestions:

• Accessibility: Make sure that all areas of the home are accessible; the appraiser will take a look in each room.
• Housekeeping: Appraisers see hundreds of homes a year and will look past most clutter. However, they’re human beings too! You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
• Maintenance: Repair minor things like leaky faucets, missing door handles and trim.