Repairs Needed Before A Home Appraisal
A real estate appraisal is an important part of securing a mortgage and can determine whether or not the home loan process can continue.
A home appraisal is different from a home inspection. A real estate appraiser looks for things that affect the overall value of the house. An inspector looks deeper to identify things that need to be fixed before you close.
Here are the most common repairs that should be completed before a real estate appraiser visits your home:
- Health and safety issues
- Protecting the security of the property
- Structural soundness of the property
For example:
- Electric garage door opener that won’t reverse when obstructed.
- Burglar bars without safety latches.
- Steps or stairwells with no handrail.
- Empty swimming pools, pools without a working pump, and pools with mosquito fish.
- Non-working kitchen appliances.
- Missing appliances that usually are sold with a home such as a stove.
- An outlet within 10 feet of a water source that has only a regular two-prong plug instead of GFI outlet (i.e. bathrooms, kitchens)
- Exposed electrical wires.
- Non-functioning water, electricity or air conditioning.
- Major plumbing issues and leaks.
- Wet basements.
- Foundation - cracks in the walls, ceiling or foundation.
- Rotting window sills, eaves, and support columns on a porch.
- If the home was built prior to 1978, chipping and peeling paint (interior, exterior, garages, sheds and fences)
If possible, repairs should be made to your home prior to the home appraisal being done, and if possible - before the home is put up for sale. The repairs not only improve the home’s marketability, but depending on the loan type the repairs will likely be required and will cost an additional fee for a re-inspection.
Schedule Home Appraisal Services
We do home appraisals in the Phoenix area including Scottsdale, Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, San Tan Valley and surrounding areas. We welcome you to look through our website, review appraisal services and our home appraisal process, join our Facebook community, and learn more about our expert appraisers to see if we are a good fit for your needs.
Give us a call to schedule a home appraisal.