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Depending on the size of the home, the appraisal itself can take several hours. After the appraiser’s visit is complete, it can take between a few days and a few weeks to get the report back. This timeline is largely dependent on the appraiser’s workload, research requirements, efficiency, and other factors.

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.

You should aim to have three or more bedrooms for the best resale value, and having four bedrooms is considered the gold standard. Having just two bedrooms is a functional obsolescence for larger family sizes, so a minimum of three bedrooms is ideal. Adding square footage from additional bedrooms will almost always be worthwhile, though, and can easily provide an ROI of 70%.

A property valuation, sometimes called a comparative market analysis or CMA, provides a real estate expert’s opinion on how much your property will sell for. It takes many things into consideration, like the condition and location of the home, but ultimately, all that matters for a property valuation is what a buyer might be willing to pay for the property. An appraisal is more concerned with determining the value. A valuation is to estimate what you’ll get for a property, while an appraisal helps a lender establish loan-to-value ratios and loan amounts.