Coldwell Banker American Homes Blog

Your home is likely your largest investment, and when it comes time to sell, both you, the buyer, and the buyer's lender will all want to know exactly what it's worth.

As a result, a home appraisal is an important part of a real estate transaction. You can have your home appraised in order to determine a good listing price; however, if your buyer is financing their purchase, their lender will require an appraisal as part of the process. In either scenario, it's in your best interest to do everything you can to earn the highest possible appraisal.

Our real estate agents often recommend putting in a little time, effort, and research ahead of your appraisal to help ensure the best possible outcome. Here are a few easy tips we usually share with our clients:

• Start With Some Local Research
  One of the best ways to gather data points about your home's value is by checking out your neighbor's recent home sales. Do a quick search of recent home sales involving similar size homes within a 1-mile radius of your home. Browse some of the listing photos and see how the home compares to yours. If it's fairly close in terms of size, age, and location — the recent sale price can give you a frame of reference on your own home that you can share with your appraiser. Don't forget to mention any new local amenities such as schools, libraries, restaurants, or shops to your appraiser.
  
  
• Do Your Own Walkthrough
  If you've been turning a blind eye to minor issues around the home, now is the time to fix them! Put yourself in the shoes of an appraisal and do a walkthrough of your own home. Take note of anything that is outdated, broken, or needs repairs. Pay special attention to floors, doors, appliances, the attic, water in the basement, cracks in the foundation, or other problems. Remember, minor damage usually results in about a $500 deduction on your appraisal, so it can be cheaper to fix the issue upfront.
  
  
• Point Out Your Upgrades
  If you recently made any significant upgrades, such as a roof replacement, new flooring, or new appliances, be sure to point them out to your appraiser to ensure your investment is reflected in your home's value.
  
  
• Clean, Clean, and Clean Some More
  We're not talking about the usual Saturday morning tidy-up. Before your appraisal, you'll want to clean like you've never cleaned before. Make sure to go top to bottom in every room and clean floors, ceilings, walls, baseboards, surfaces, windows, appliances — you name it. Dirt and grime can really cast a bad impression on your appraiser and potential buyers.
  
  
• Boost Your Curb Appeal
  First impressions are everything, so you want to be sure to wow your appraiser as soon as they pull into your driveway. Tend to your landscaping, paint the front door, power wash your facade, plant new flowers, or add a new mailbox — these are all things you can do to improve how your home looks from the street. Just take a look at the great curb appeal on these Queens homes for sale.

Preparing for your home appraisal can really pay off. Planning to put your home on the market this year? We can help, contact us today!

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Buying a home is one of life's largest expenses. If you're a first-time buyer, it can be challenging to determine exactly how much you need to save before making a purchase. Closing on a home involves many different payments, fees, and taxes. Keeping it all straight, let alone coming up with accurate estimates, can be difficult, to say the least.

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Outdoor home improvement season is finally here, and if you're like our real estate agents, you're probably trying to prioritize a whole slew of DIY projects. May is the perfect time to refresh your outdoor space and ensure your home is in good shape before the heat of summer sets in. Doing both will help provide you maintain a comfortable home throughout the warm weather months and also go a long way towards boosting your home value.

If you're having trouble deciding or are simply limited on time, here is a quick list of super-easy home improvement projects to tackle this May:

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When it comes to selling your home, first impressions are a big deal. The best way to create a great first impression is by staging your home.

Home staging is the process of preparing your home for the real estate market by styling and furnishing it in a way that increases its appeal to as many home shoppers as possible. Home staging can help you sell your home faster, and it is also one of the most effective ways to increase your sale price.

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Nothing is more relaxing than kicking back on the beach with a good book. Whether you enjoy reading a classic novel or a mystery page-turner, getting lost in a book is one of the best ways to unwind. Finding a great read isn't difficult when you live on Long Island. Long Island is actually known for having some of the best independent bookstores in the country.

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Our favorite time of year has finally arrived: gardening season. While many people wait around for warm weather before they get out and start preparing their gardens, our real estate agents like to get a head start. We do everything we can at the end of winter to ensure our spring gardens will be a success. We always plan and prepare well before spring, so we can plant our seeds as early as possible and make the most of those warm-weather weekends.

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Golf season is finally here, and many of us have been eagerly awaiting our first chance to hit the fairways this spring. A round of golf is one of the best ways to experience all the natural beauty Long Island has to offer while challenging your body and your mind. It's also a great way to catch up with friends, family, and clients.

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