John Alve, Real Estate Appraisals's appraisal to-do list

By law, you, as a borrower, are are entitled to receive a copy of the final appraisal report from the lender. Contact us if you have any questions about the appraisal process.

To help the appraisal go as smoothly as possible we generally recommend to have these documents, if available, ready for the appraiser:

  • A plot plan or survey of the house and land (if 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 building.

  • Any documents, such as a title policy with information on encroachments or easements 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, your septic system and wells.

  • Brag sheet that lists major home improvements and upgrades, the date of their installation and their cost (for example, the addition of energy efficiency upgrades or roof repairs) and permit confirmation (if available).

  • Find copies of the current listing agreement, broker's data sheet and, if the sale is "pending", the purchase agreement.

  • Any "Homeowners Associations" agreements or, if applicable, condo covenants or fees.

  • A list of "suggested" improvements if the property is to be appraised "as complete".

When the appraiser has arrived, you do not need to accompany them 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 a few other suggestions:

  • Accessibility: Appraisers are very thorough in their inspections. You should make sure that all areas of the home are accessible, especially the attic and crawl space.

  • Housekeeping: Appraisers see quite a few of homes a year and are no strangers to clutter, but they're human beings too! A good impact can translate into a higher home value.

  • Maintenance: We generally recommend repairing minor things like leaky faucets, missing door handles and trim.

  • FHA and VA Inspection Items: If your borrower is applying for either an FHA or VA loan, we strongly recommend to ask your appraiser if there are extra things that should be done before they arrive. Some things they may recommend might be: installing handrails on all stairways, removing and touching up where there's paint peeling, eliminating pull-chain lights in areas other than the basement or attic.