Make Your House Appraise Higher

[flip_it_fast]

There are things that you can do to make sure that the house you want to sell will appraise at a good price. I was just reading through some tips offered by a professional appraiser and thought that maybe they would be useful to you guys.

"Homeowners are always asking me what their house is worth right when I'm done looking at it," says Scott Murphy, the president of D.S. Murphy and Associates, an Atlanta-based real estate appraiser and consulting firm. "I try not to guess in advance, though, because the market changes so often and it really is a mathematical process that we go through."

"As appraisers, we look at public records, the physical information on the property, and comparables in the same area," says Murphy, "but our job is also to put ourselves in the shoes of a typical buyer."

Focus on curb appeal. He says everyone wants to focus on kitchen and baths because they offer the highest rate of return but in today's market, with so much inventory you should focus on curb appeal too.

He says don't give buyers an upgrade allowance. Some people think that it's better to not pull down the old wallpaper and replace the carpeting so that the buyers can pick out what they want but he says that it's much better to just choose neutrals and wow potential buyers.

High cost improvements can be too much of a gamble. Don't make any high cost improvements that aren't typical for the area.

Hire an appraiser for a consultation. He says they can come in and tell you exactly what you need to do to get the most out of your flip. They can tell you not only about what should be painted but if it's worth adding a bathroom or deck- whatever.