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How Long Does a Home Appraisal Take?

  • Homeowners Insurance
  • Renee Martin
  • 8 minutes

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If you’re looking to buy/refinance a home, you first need to appraise it to know how much to borrow. Here we break down everything you need to know – like what it is, how long a home appraisal takes, and more.

Buying or refinancing a home is a very serious matter – you need to know precisely what kind of home you can afford before applying for a mortgage. But how does the bank or lender assess whether the amount you want to loan is correct? That’s where home appraisals come in! Lenders hire professional appraisers to inspect the house and conduct a thorough appraisal.

What is a home appraisal? 

A home appraisal is an inspection of a prospective home you want to buy or refinance, done by a trained, state-licensed professional who will conduct a fair, non-biased assessment. The appraiser will assign a valuation to the home based on current market trends and the price of comparable houses. Based on this valuation, the bank/lender approves the loan amount you ask for.

how long does a home appraisal take?
Source: Marco Verch on Flickr used under Creative Commons (CC BY 2.0)

What are the steps for a home appraisal?

Once you apply for a mortgage or home refinancing, the lender will check your financial information to understand if you are creditworthy. Once you get conditional approval, the lender will reach out to a professional home appraiser who will act as an independent assessor between the buyer (you) and the seller (the real estate company).

A home appraisal usually consists of three main steps:

  • Physical Inspection: During this step, the appraiser will inspect the prospective home in detail and check its features. They will check the overall condition of the home, the basement, utilities (like plumbing, heating, etc), and the physical dimensions. Depending on the size of the property, a physical inspection can range from 30 minutes to 2 hours.
  • Comparing with similar properties: To get a better idea of the valuation, the appraiser will have to compare the prices of similar homes sold within the last 12 months. They will need to be similar in size, facilities, and neighborhood. This report can take 3-10 days to complete.
  • Final review and evaluation: Based on the data collected so far, the appraiser will adjust the prices of similar properties for inflation and market prices, and compare them with the estimated valuation of your prospective home. The final home appraisal report will give the home a price based on a value per square foot.

Also read: How much homeowners insurance coverage do you need?

How long does a home appraisal take?

A home appraisal process can take anything between 1-2 weeks depending on the availability and workload of the appraiser.

Post-2020, there has been a sharp decline in the number of home appraisers – partly due to the dull housing market and the effects of the pandemic. There is a 3% decline in the number of appraisers every year, which can lead to further delays in appraisal reports. If the shortage is not rectified, it could take almost a month for the appraisal report to be delivered.

How long does a home appraisal take?

What do they look for in a home appraisal? 

Home appraisers need to get a thorough look at all the features of a home before they can estimate its value. Here are some of the broad categories they consider:

General characteristics

  • Dimensions, size, and age: Overall age of the house, number of rooms, bathrooms, bedrooms, and living area in square feet, overall
  • Overall Quality: Condition of the property, maintenance, type of neighborhood
  • Driveway and Garage condition: Size of the garage, number of cars that can be housed, driveway surface
  • Accessory Dwelling Unit: Independent dwelling built adjoining the house like basement apartments, mini-apartment over the garage, etc

Foundations and attic

  • Foundation: Type and condition of the foundation, material used, durability
  • Basement: Finished or unfinished, whether it has any pest issues
  • Attic: Type of attic, its condition, whether it is used regularly or not

Interior Features

  • Floor material
  • Wall material
  • Type of appliances and their condition
  • Heating and cooling systems
  • energy-efficient installations

Exterior Features

  • Material and condition of external walls
  • Roof type and material
  • Insulation, window sizes, screens

Upgrades, remodels, and home improvements

Even an old home with new additions and upgrades can sell for a much higher value. Remodeled kitchens, bathrooms, and new air-conditioning systems can increase the value of older homes.

What needs to be fixed before an appraisal? 

In order to get a good valuation in the home appraisal and be approved for a mortgage, you need to focus on meeting the Federal Housing Administration’s Minimum Property Standards. While there are many criteria under it, they can be clubbed into three categories

  • Safety Standards: The house should be able to safeguard the health and safety of the residents
  • Security Standards: The house should adequately protect the residents from risk.
  • Soundness Standards: The house should be in good physical condition (structurally sound)

Here are some broad repairs you can undertake before a home appraisal:

  • Give the house a fresh coat of paint and ensure there is no flaking of lead-based paint or asbestos
  • Replace broken shingles on your roof
  • Check for cracks in the foundation, pests, seepage, and other issues in the basement
  • Ensure there are no creaky steps in the house and that the handrails are properly secured
  • All the heating and cooling systems should be in order
  • Check whether all the lights in the rooms are working and if any of them trip the breaker

Also read: How to get homeowner’s insurance with a bad roof

What will fail a home appraisal?

Not completing critical maintenance repairs like electrical wiring problems, plumbing issues, broken window panes, and creaking steps/handrails will lower the appraisal value of a home.

How much does a home appraisal cost? 

A home appraisal fee can range from $300-$500 depending on the kind of property, its size, its condition, and the amount of detail needed to get a valuation. It is almost always paid by the borrower (i.e., you). A single-family home appraisal in a moderately affluent suburb might cost much less than one in a large, affluent neighborhood.

What’s the next step after a home appraisal? 

After the bank/lender receives the home appraisal report, they will use it to set a maximum loan limit for you. For example, if your prospective home is appraised at $400,000 and you intend to make a 10% downpayment, then the lender will likely set a maximum loan limit of $360,000 (90% of $400,000).

What to do if you receive a low appraisal?

Sometimes, the appraised value of the home can come in lower than expected. You may have considered a higher price when you first approached the lender, but will now have to find a way to make up for the ‘appraisal gap’. Here are your options in the event of a low appraisal:

  • Make up for the ‘appraisal gap’ with cash
  • Review your copy of the appraisal report and find out what
  • Ask the lender if a second appraisal is possible
  • Try to negotiate the price with the lender

how long does a home appraisal take?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How long is a home appraisal good for?

Most appraisals are good for 90-120 days after the report is submitted. However, this is subject to market conditions which can either extend or shorten the expiry date of an appraisal.

How long does it take to hear back from a home appraisal? 

A home appraisal consists of three steps – a physical inspection, a comparison with similar properties, and a final review to adjust for market trends. You can expect to get the appraisal report within 2-5 days after all three steps are completed. If home appraisers are in high demand, it could take slightly longer.

Does a messy house affect an appraisal? 

Typically, a messy house does not affect a home appraisal, because the appraiser is there to find the value of the house – not the stuff in it. Appraisers will be more interested in looking past any clutter and checking whether the house is physically secure and if all its utilities are working. Unless the messiness starts affecting the structure and functioning of the house, it won’t affect the appraisal value.

However, it’s always best to arrange your house in a way that doesn’t impede the appraiser from accessing and inspecting it. After all, even though appraisers are trained to look beyond the mess, subconscious biases may always affect their valuation.

Do appraisers flush toilets? 

While they may not flush every toilet in the house, appraisers may pick a room at random and check if everything in it is working well. This includes switching on the lights, opening windows, inspecting latches, and flushing toilets.


Here’s more info on top-rated airport parkingthe best parking spots in your city, the most affordable auto insurance for your car, easy auto refinance, and top-rated car washes near you.


 

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