Get matched with top antique and jewelry appraisers in Corydon, IN

Ideally, you’d never pay more than the appraised value for a home, but there are some instances where it makes sense to do so. For example, if your current living arrangements are no longer viable and you need a place to move into quickly, paying more than the appraised value might be in your best interest to secure a new home. Additionally, if you’re buying in a hot market, overpaying for the home might be necessary to overcome the competition.

You can be present during a home appraisal, but it’s best to stay out of the appraiser’s way. Make yourself available, but don’t engage or interrupt, and don’t discuss value or your target sales price. If possible, have your agent present in the house instead of being present yourself.

Basement bedrooms can count toward your room count and the square footage of your home on an appraisal if they’re fully legal, which means they have proper ventilation and points of egress, as defined by your local building code. Simply partitioning off a space for a bedroom in an otherwise unfinished basement that isn’t a legal living space won’t affect your appraisal value.

The differences between market value and appraised value depend on the local market, so they can match, or either one can be higher than the other. In a “seller’s market,” where there is an abundance of buyers, market value will likely sit higher than the appraised value because there’s more demand for the low inventory of homes. In a “buyer’s market,” where there are more homes than there are buyers, the market value is more likely to sit below the appraised value to entice buyers.