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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.

You'll notice that many projects that add value to your home involve increasing curb appeal. Adding an aluminum fence improves the style of your yard and the safety levels for pools, pets, and backyard playtime. You can also choose aluminum fence designs with unique ornamental features or paint the fence to match your home's style.

Granite countertops typically add value to your home, especially if upgrading from a less durable material or one that requires more maintenance, like concrete, wood, or laminate. Granite strikes an excellent balance between longevity and affordability, so most home buyers will see immense value in granite countertops. Plus, upgrading countertops to granite is likely to have a more significant impact on your home value than many other home improvement projects, as many buyers use the kitchens and bathrooms to judge the overall quality of the home.

If you’re selling a home and the appraisal comes in lower than an offer, you’re effectively getting more for your home than it’s worth. If you’re a buyer, it means you may be overpaying. Some buyers may try to reduce their offer amount to match the appraisal, but if they signed an agreement already at the offer price and the agreement didn’t make the sale contingent on the appraised value, there’s often no option to negotiate. Keep in mind that a low appraisal may push your loan-to-value ratio too high, meaning a lender may not give you a mortgage.