Ways to Increase Your Home’s Appraisal Value Before Selling

If you want to sell your house soon, it’s important to consider your home’s appraisal value. If your home appraises for less than what your buyers have agreed to pay, it can complicate or delay the closing process. So, to make sure your sale goes as smoothly as possible, here are some creative ways to increase your home’s appraisal value before selling.

What home appraisers evaluate

When someone agrees to buy your house, the bank typically sends an appraiser to determine what your house is worth. Because a home is the collateral for a mortgage loan, typically, a house needs to appraise for the buyer’s offer or more.

Some buyers even put an appraisal contingency in their offer, which means if the house doesn’t appraise for what they’re offering, they can walk away from the deal. Since the goal is to sell your house quickly and have a smooth closing, ensuring your home appraises for a good price is vital.

An appraiser will evaluate the location of your home, the size, the condition, crime in the surrounding area, and recent market trends. They will also consider any renovations you’ve made, landscaping, and the condition of your electrical, plumbing, and HVAC system.

How to increase your home’s appraisal value before selling

If you want to increase your home’s appraisal value before selling it, try some of the tips below. Remember, a home’s appraisal value can vary widely depending on where you live and the type of house you have. So, it’s always a good idea to ask your local real estate agent what upgrades will have the most significant impact in your area.

Inspect it

It’s not required, but you can pay for a pre-inspection before selling your home. This will help you determine what might need to be fixed or repaired before putting your house on the market.

Give your home a deep clean

Give your home a deep clean before selling it. This might seem obvious, but many buyers will be looking closely at how clean your home is. They want to know if the house they buy has been maintained regularly over time.

The same is true for the appraiser, who will be assessing the condition of your home overall. A clean house shows them you take pride in your home and like keeping it clean.

Declutter and organize each room

Clutter can make a room feel small. By taking items out of each room in your home, including excess furniture, it can make the room feel larger. This can help entice buyers and make your home feel more bright, spacious, and organized during the appraisal.

Apply some fresh paint

Because appraisers are evaluating the condition of your home, having a freshly painted home is a good idea. Fresh paint not only looks visually appealing, but it also helps the home to smell and feel new and updated. It also gives you an opportunity to patch holes and clean marks on the wall.

Incorporate natural light sources as much as possible

Again, homes feel larger when they are brighter. So, if you open your curtains and blinds to allow light in, your rooms will feel airier and bigger. This can be appealing to both buyers and appraisers.

Consider adding inexpensive upgrades, like new cabinet hardware and updated lighting fixtures

You don’t have to renovate your entire kitchen before selling your house (unless you want to.) However, inexpensive upgrades, like new cabinet hardware or updated light fixtures, will only cost a few hundred dollars and can make a significant impact on the overall look and feel of your space. New light fixtures can especially modernize your home, and make it feel more updated.

Replace bad gutters

If you have bad gutters on your home that are cracked or falling, replace them before listing your home for sale. Loose or damaged gutters are something an inspector would point out. So, take the time to fix or replace your gutters to show that you’ve completed maintenance on your home.

Get rid of carpet

Most homeowners prefer wood floors to carpets. If you have carpet in the main areas of your home, consider replacing it. You can even replace it with high-quality luxury vinyl if hardwood floors are out of your price range. Sometimes, carpets can date a home and make it feel older. If you don’t have the budget to replace the carpet completely, invest in professional carpet cleaning before listing.

Freshen up landscaping

When an appraiser comes to your house, they will inspect your yard and your lot. So, take the time to freshen up your landscaping. Trim hedges, pull weeds, and add an outdoor seating area if you have room.

Your yard is an extension of your home, and showing that you care for it and maintain it can improve the value of your home. If you have outdoor amenities, like a built-in sprinkler system, make sure the appraiser knows about it.

Replacing old or inefficient windows with energy-efficient models

If you have old or inefficient windows, consider replacing them with new energy-efficient windows. Windows can be a big expense, but telling potential buyers that your home has new windows can be a good selling point.

Also, letting an appraiser know that you replaced windows enables them to factor that into their overall calculation.

Upgrading the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system

Both appraisers and inspectors will look at the heating, ventilation, and HVAC systems in your home. First, learn how old these appliances are in your home. If you haven’t had them serviced in a while, schedule a service call and ask the technician about their condition.

If you need any parts replaced, updated, or cleaned, make the appointment to complete that maintenance before listing..

Adding insulation to improve energy efficiency

Insulation is an essential part of maintaining the heat and air conditioning in your home. If you have an attic or areas of your home where an inspector or an appraiser will look, make sure that you have adequate insulation in the parts of your home that require it.

Install smart home features like a smart thermostat, etc.

A final simple upgrade is to install a few smart home features, like a smart thermostat, smart lightbulbs, or automatic blinds. While they might not affect the value of your home substantially, they send the message that your home is cared for and up-to-date with the latest home features.

The final step to increase an appraisal value

When making any of the changes above, keep receipts and document your upgrades and changes. You can share these notes with potential buyers as well as the appraisers. When an appraiser sees that you’ve addressed any issues found in a pre-inspection and spent time updating your property, you have a better chance of improving your home appraisal price. This can lead to a smoother closing with minimal negotiation.

Creative Ways to Increase Your Home’s Appraisal Value Before Selling was last modified: May 5th, 2025 by Billy Guteng

Written by Billy Guteng. November 25, 2023

Billy is a content writer for Kukun. He was born in France, and has lived in multiple cities around the world ever since. He loves art, design and architecture as well as construction and real estate.