Should I Clean My House for Appraisal?

It is a fact that home appraisals are never based on the cleanliness of the home, but it is highly recommended to have the home looking sparkling clean before the appraiser walks in. A clean house is likely to influence certain factors in the appraisal process and though not directly related to the entire process; higher evaluations may be achieved if the home is clean.

Here are some of the reasons why it pays to clean your house for appraisal-:

Show your house best features

When you clean the house before the appraisal, you will enhance and show off the best features of the house. Additionally, a clean house will give the impression that you take great care of the home and hence it is in perfect condition. Scuffed floors, dirty windows and blocked sinks and toilets on the other hand might create an impression of neglect and make the house to appear to be of low value to the appraiser. Both will have an impact on the final result of the appraisal.

Do away with the clutter

Removing the clutter is essential before the appraisal process begins. If the appraiser is unable to see the new flooring tiles or the hardwood floors you just installed because something is blocking them, you can bet the appraisal value will be lower. Again, when the rooms are free from clutter, it creates a feeling of more space and a larger floor plan. A lot of clutter will also make it difficult for the appraiser to get the correct dimensions of the house and this will have a direct impact on the actual value of the house.

Updates and fixtures

Through cleaning, you will know the kind of updates and fixtures you need to have in place before the arrival of the appraiser. Making such small updates might go a long way in improving the appraised value of the house as opposed to having the appraisal done with little broken items all over. For instance, check and fix door knobs, toilets, faucets and every other minor thing that might make the appraiser think that you have neglected the house and appraise it lowly.

Proper organization

Cleaning will give you a chance to get more organized in the house before the appraisal is done. When your room is well organized, there will be an impression of more space and the rooms will appear larger and deeper. Ultimately, this will lead to the perceived value of the home and the appraiser might as well give it a better value.

Therefore, cleaning your house is highly recommended, though it might not affect significantly the overall appraisal value.