Antiques and Jewelry Appraisals questions, answered by experts
As a seller, it might feel tempting to skip the appraisal, especially in a hot market that sees a lot of all-cash offers. While you can technically forgo it and hope for an all-cash offer, you’ll likely have a very tough time selling without an appraisal.
In addition to protecting lenders from risk, appraisals also protect buyers’ investments. As such, it isn’t typically recommended for buyers to skip appraisals.
While some aspects of an appraisal, such as comparable properties nearby, are out of your control, there are several steps you can take to potentially increase your home's value. Make any necessary repairs and upgrades before the appraiser's visit, as they can only value what is currently part of the home, not its potential. Examples include renovating older areas, updating landscaping to boost curb appeal, and staging your home. You can also provide the appraiser with the cost of recent upgrades, which may increase your home's value by about 50% or more of what you paid for those improvements.
Appraisals can come in above or below the list price or offer price for a property, and where it falls depends on many factors. Those include the condition of the property, the location, and the age of the home, but often, the condition of the market is the biggest determining factor. Where demand is high for properties, buyers compete with each other for homes, which tends to drive up offer prices above where appraisals come in. Where demand is low, you’ll often see the opposite happening.
A koi pond may add value to your home if it’s a feature sellers are looking for. Like pools, ponds can affect your property value depending on their condition, whether they’re a popular selling point, and how well they’re incorporated into your home’s landscape.
If installing board and batten fixes an issue with the home, it could increase the value, but it isn’t commonly installed for that purpose. Board and batten is an aesthetic choice and, like most aesthetic choices, will do little to raise your home’s value. That being said, certain design elements can help attract more buyers, even if your home’s price won’t see a noticeable bump.
The Dulce, NM homeowners’ guide to antique and jewelry appraisals
From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
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