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Foundation cracks won’t always affect your appraised value. All foundations crack due to normal settlement, so hairline cracks that aren’t leaking or uneven from side to side are unlikely to have an impact on your appraisal. Structural cracks, on the other hand, often lead to a reduced appraised value, especially if the underlying problem will cause the issue to worsen over time.

No, the appraisal value comes from an appraiser and is a professional opinion of value based on property location and condition, while the market value is determined solely by what buyers are willing to pay for your home. Lenders normally use appraised values to ensure they’re staying within target loan-to-value (LTV) ratios—the market value is simply what the home sells for. Appraised value can sit above or below market value.

Stylish drop tiles, such as wood or metal, could add value to your home if the drop ceiling hides imperfections on an old surface. However, traditional fiberboard and plastic drop ceilings can have the opposite effect, especially if new prospective buyers do not like that aesthetic. Savvy buyers may also know that drop ceilings are a go-to ceiling option in areas where leaks are an issue, given the easy access to the area above the ceiling and the ease of replacing a single tile. This could dissuade a buyer from purchasing your home.

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.