There are many things you can do to ensure your property gets the best valuation report (and value) possible. Just some of the things to consider are;
Tidy Up, declutter
Getting a valuation on your property is a great time to have a spring clean and declutter around the house. Not only will a tidy house make it easy for the valuer to see all the features of your home but the declutter will help to make the rooms look bigger and the overall presentation of the home to be above standard.
Get your paperwork out
Plans and details on any enhancements you have made to the property are perfect to share with the valuer because if you can’t see it chances are the valuer can’t either and therefore it may not be included in the overall value.
You want to make sure everything is included in the valuation so having documents and plans handy will allow the valuer to see. You can share this paperwork with your Broker when you order the valuation or with the valuer at the appointment.
Recent sales
The valuer will research recent sales in the area to use as a guide when determining your property value however there is usually a delay from when the property is sold to when it is recorded on the data sites.
It’s a great idea to have recent sales of similar properties handy to let the valuer know especially if, for example, the house down the road has just gone unconditional for $550 000.00 in the last week. This is information the valuer wouldn’t have to use in comparisons.
Get to those repairs
We all have something on the ‘to do’ list around the house that we never seem to get around to. Whatever it is a valuation is the perfect time to get it fixed up.
Again, the valuer will complete a report that describes the condition of the home as well as any issues they may see so your best option is to get those small repairs done to avoid any issues noted on the valuation report.
Have a realistic idea of the value
Remember a valuation is more conservative than a sales appraisal and this is because the Banks/Lenders are going to be using your home as security. They will be asking the Valuation company to note what the property would get if it was sold in a ‘fire sale’ and usually this is less than if you had time to list it on the market and wait for the right buyer.
A great way to get a realistic idea is a property report. This will include a price range your property could be valued at so you know roughly what price range you are looking at.
If you want a property report to see what your property might be worth please contact me for a free copy.