Whether you are planning to sell or refinance, it is likely that a lender’s appraisal will be in your future as a step to determine the “appraised value” of your home. The lender’s appraisal is optional in most cases; however, if you are attempting to refinance your mortgage or selling a buyer’s lender may order that an appraisal be performed by a State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser. The lender orders the appraisal to ensure that they are not loaning more money than the home is worth. So, the appraised value sets the amount that may be mortgaged for a property.
It stands to reason that to be appraised at the highest possible value, your home should be in the best possible condition. Do not be tempted to go for the big-ticket renovations like a kitchen remodel that, while it will add value, may not give you the dollar-for-dollar Return on Investment (ROI) that a number of smaller repairs and fixes can do to raise the overall “market value” as well as the “appraised value” of your home.
If you are listing your home these items should be done BEFORE the home is put on the market with guidance of a professional real estate agent who will give you an unbiased view of those areas that need to be addressed to maximize the offer you will receive as well as an appraisal should one be performed.
Start small with the walls…
If you have lived in your home for a while you've probably hung things on the walls, put up shelves. There may also be a few a few places where doorknobs have hit the wall, furniture or kids had accidents that resulted in minor damage, particularly on the corners or to door molding. Individually, they don’t appear to be much, but taken overall can reduce the appearance of your home in the eye of a trained appraiser because it is an indication of ‘general upkeep and maintenance.’ This does two (2) things: first it will reduce the ‘appraised value’ of your home and second, it will cause the appraiser to look deeper for other items that may also need repair or maintenance that can also reduce the ‘appraised value’.
Now is the time to repair those blemishes. Filling these holes and crevices with a little spackle and repainting will leave your walls looking like new. While this may not boost the value of your home, it will keep the appraiser from deducting for the damage and looking deeper for additional evidence of poor or slack maintenance.
While we are discussing repainting, you may have loved the bright blue or pink in the children’s bedrooms or the bright turquoise in the hallway; however, not everyone has your taste and bright colors can make it difficult for a buyer to “see” themselves in your home. It is often best to cover these bright colors with something more traditional. Again, your experienced professional real estate agent will help you in your choices here as well.
Now that you have your paintbrush out…
After you've touched up your walls, you should consider freshening up the paint in the entryway, family room or main
living areas as these are the areas that give the biggest initial impression when people walk in. You should try to take an unbiased view of the areas to concentrate on to really get things “spruced up” such as repainting worn trim, moldings and doors around the home that will give the interior a fresh clean look.
Let’s talk about curb appeal…
We have all heard the term many times that ‘you only have one chance to make that first impression.’ An appraiser or buyer will draw a first impression about your home within the first 5 to 15 seconds when they first pull up – this is “curb appeal.”
An appraiser will start at the top, with your roof and work their way down. They will have looked up the permit record 
and will know how old your roof is and the older the roof the more it will diminish the final ‘appraised value.’ If your roof is 10 to 15 years or older it might pay to have a roofing contractor come out and give you a professional evaluation. Re-roofing is not something to do ‘on a budget’ but if it is a serious detraction you should know and be prepared for it. However, replacing missing, broken or weathered shingles can help the appearance of your roof and demonstrate good owner care and maintenance.
You can always take a walk along your street and look at the other homes, especially ones that have sold in the last six (6) months or so. Also, walk out to the street and take a critical look at you house. You may have gotten used to the shrubs that need to be trimmed or replaced, the trees that need to be pruned or the faded, peeling paint on the house. Planting some nice flowers along the front of the house and around the entrance shows an attention to detail and a desire to make the property look nice – all help to enhance overall ‘value.’
Before you put your paintbrush away…
Now that you have looked things over it’s also time to take your paintbrush outside and touch up the trim around the windows and doors and don’t forget the soffit and fascia. 
This will also give you a chance to check for wood rot in the fascia boards, exterior door trim and doors which is something the appraiser will be inspecting. If you find some soft spots a good contractor can do spot repairs quite inexpensively. Also, if it’s been a few years since your home was painted you should consider a fresh coat of paint, at least along the front. This will boost curb appeal and help you add value to the home. If you have gutters make sure they are not sagging, and the downspouts are properly attached to the house.
By taking the time to spruce up the home ahead of a listing with the help of your professional real estate agent or in advance of an appraisal for a refinance of your mortgage, you may be able to increase the value by thousands of dollars. Afterall, the ‘value’ of your home is as much or more about the ‘impression’ it makes than anything else.
The suggestions offered here should give you a head start, but if you have additional questions on how to add more value to your home, please don't hesitate to reach out us.
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Contact Geni at 469-556-1185 or RealEstate@GeniManning.com
for a no obligation phone consultation!
Geni is a native Texan and has spent her life in this area as a professional real estate agent. Her reputation is impeccable, and she has personal contacts across literally thousands of brokers and agents in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Geni and her Team know how to SELL, what works and what doesn’t! She has a proven track record of selling homes faster and for a higher price than most agents (even in the very difficult markets)! With Geni and her Team on your side you can be assured of the most professional and successful marketing strategy. With Geni Manning’s credentials, knowledge, and decades of experience; she is a true Master of Real Estate.
This article © by Geni Manning, Geni Manning Real Estate Group, Frisco Stars, Frisco, TX, December 2020
