Preparing
For An Inspection
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Accessibility
Make sure that all areas of the home are accessible, especially that usual culprit, the garage.
Appraiser vs. Home Inspector
An Appraiser is NOT a Home Inspector and so does not do a complete home inspection. A Home Inspector will spend much more time at your home, and deliver a report on the condition of all its features, structures, and appliances. An Appraiser's primary job is to give an opinion of market value. An appraiser will spend far less time at your home, but will spend a great deal of time researching the current housing market and how your home compares with other nearby homes which have recently sold.
Paperwork
A lot of the appraiser's job is to gather information. If you can locate the paperwork from when you purchased your home, it is greatly appreciated. He'll be looking for data such as the taxes on your property, the legal description, the title report, a plat map, and any sales brochures if you purchased your home new. If you have a custom home, particularly one with a complex floor plan, the plans will help out enormously. If you can't find all these items, just find what you can. Appraisers have ways of tracking information down.
Homeowners Association?
If your home is part of a H.O.A., have the name and phone number of the organization handy. What are your dues? What benefits do you receive for being a part of the H.O.A.? Any information you have will be helpful.
Bonds?
Some neighborhoods have school bonds, most often Mello-Roos bonds. There may be items you pay outside of your regular property taxes for sewer hook-up or street repairs.
Feature Flyer
If you've just sold your house, you may have a flyer of the special features of your home. Be sure to point out things that make your house special, as well as any remodeling or upgrades you have done. If your house has an addition which was not part of the original structure, is there a county building permit? How old is the roof? The appliances? The flooring?
House Cleaning
Appraisers see hundreds of homes a year, and tend to look past most clutter, but they are human beings too. A little cleaning can't hurt. But don't go over board. Except in extreme cases, cleaning has little effect on the final opinion of value.