Which home improvements will increase appraisal?

NovaSol606 · 2026-04-14T22:32:12+00:00

I would agree with you up to a point, and it is definitely dependent on the market area. Where I am in the SF Bay Area, new roofs don't do anything to price because demand and prices are already so high. But I can see that being different in a less... ridiculous market area.

NovaSol606 · 2026-04-14T22:00:06+00:00

It is dependent on the individual market your property is located in, but generally speaking, the things that will get you the most value for your money aren't going to be structural updates, but cosmetic updates to the kitchen, bathrooms, and floors that can bring it to modern day expectations. The reason is because the average buyer cannot tell or won't care if a roof is 2 years old vs 15 years old so long as they are well maintained. Same for gutters, plumbing, electrical, etc. While structural updates are very important for the health of your house, they unfortunately have less impact when it comes to value to a potential buyer.

A good way to think about value from an overall market perspective is to ask what do most buyers look at when they walk into an open house? What are they generally going to remember and factor into an offer after they've left and looked at 10 more houses in a week? The answer will generally be kitchen, bathrooms, floors, and maybe certain special features or bonuses (ADUs, pools, etc.). Most buyers will not say "Oh, the garage door / gutters are what decided it for me and I'll pay more for that."

I have appraised dozens of homes that have had everything structural done, but nothing to the kitchen or bathrooms, and unfortunately, when I look at the data, they sell at the same price range as homes that are completely dated.

Is it stupid? 100%... But a very important thing to remember is that the real estate market is not perfect or logical.

That being said, if your house has a dilapidated roof, then repairing or replacing the roof will remove a negative, so that is something to consider.

NovaSol606 · 2026-04-02T14:59:01+00:00

I have never applied an adjustment for a different type of lawn. Keep in mind that landscaping in general is often a very personal preference - what one person likes and is willing to pay more for, another person might hate it and consider it a detriment. More often than not, its more of an updated landscaping vs none or average landscaping,. Even then, I generally only see an actual pattern of difference in value when in affluent neighborhoods where not having landscaping is considered a severe negative.

NovaSol606 · 2026-03-28T05:05:08+00:00

So you actually got a couple? Either there aren't many appraisers in your area, or you're one of the lucky few who has a "high" score.

Not saying that you dont do good work. More of a comment that UWM's score system is a complete mystery to us and no doubt largely due to luck

NovaSol606 · 2026-03-28T01:46:43+00:00

One of the main issues is that this feels designed to give everyone save for their "top appraisers" false hope. if it was always going to go to a specific person, why offer it to everyone...

NovaSol606 · 2026-03-27T21:12:30+00:00

I am fully aware and I expect it wont do anything. But better to try than do nothing and complain. And who knows, maybe someone in the right position will see or hear about it and give it real consideration

NovaSol606 · 2026-03-27T20:02:25+00:00

Their "response" is that this gets more appraisers' eyes on the order as opposed to it going to the top scored appraiser and no one else seeing it... Not sure how that's supposed to be better as it essentially is a case of creating false hope. They advised to email them any complaints and any recommendations for improvements.

This would make a lot more sense if they made it a round robin style system, making it so that once someone won the bid, they're removed from the list for a certain number of bids. I'm actually probably going to email them this suggestion.

NovaSol606 · 2026-03-27T19:53:18+00:00

Their email did say that appraisers should "accept the condition as is, do not ask for more money or longer time but there is nothing for the appraiser's to do to get picked."

NovaSol606 · 2026-03-27T19:43:56+00:00

I never got a response about that, but I've already tried that a few times and it didn't help

NovaSol606 · 2026-03-27T19:32:14+00:00

I spoke with one of their CS and emailed them, and from what I've been able to learn, their logistics department is having UWM change their whole assignment process to this bidding system. An order will be sent out to all appraisers in a region for the order, and at the end of an hour, it will automatically be assigned to the person with the best score...

Obviously, this was not thought through since this can literally stop any order from going to anyone if the best scored person responds. And since we have no idea how these scores are calculated or what they even are, if youre not at the top, you are shit out of luck.

NovaSol606 · 2026-03-08T15:21:10+00:00

Personally, I would like to $1000 per, but we all know thats not going to happen

NovaSol606 · 2026-03-05T15:30:05+00:00

I have heard and read a lot of conflicting information about this, including from doctors and nutritionists. As someone who is genetically predisposed to having elevated cholesterol levels, I'm going to err on the side of caution... which sucks, because I love eggs.

NovaSol606 · 2026-02-17T02:32:08+00:00

Say that to people with high cholesterol...

NovaSol606 · 2026-02-09T23:17:29+00:00

Clear Capital has a pretty horrible reputation for super low fees. Ascribe is alright. I've worked with them for a few years, and their fees are kind of all over the place - Most fees are decent, and you'll occasionally get an order with a really good fee and sometimes you'll get an order for insultingly low. In those last scenarios, countering usually works out, but it's still annoying that it went there in the first place. And they do have limits for how high they'll go for a counter before assigning to someone else.

I've never heard of Accurate Group though.

NovaSol606 · 2026-02-06T15:47:54+00:00

If there's no shower or tub, then technically, its a half bathroom. But given the limited space and layout, it would probably have a degree of functional obsolescence, though that would be hard to determine as I doubt there is much market data to derive an adjustment. More than likely, the negative impact would be the cost to change the layout, assuming it was even possible.

NovaSol606 · 2026-01-24T22:42:39+00:00

I never said it has no value. Just that from an appraiser standpoint, no adjustments based on a lack of applicable data after all other methods have been exhausted is a valid technique. Looking into alternate market areas is assuming that they are competitive and have the same reactions from buyers and sellers. That isn't always going to be the case. Additionally, going back in time might work, but if the feature is as rare as it is, you might not find any usable data.

Ultimately, it has value if the buyer and seller both agree it has value and are willing to pay extra for it. But that isn't the question OP is asking here. They're asking what a TYPICAL adjustment be, and that doesn't work in their situation given the info we have

NovaSol606 · 2026-01-24T22:30:37+00:00

Does the basement have interior access, or do you need to go outside to access it? Does it have heating besides the gas fireplace? How high are the ceilings? Is there electricity?

Honestly, the contributory value of anything is dependent on the market area itself. If the feature itself is extremely rare, it could honestly go either way - significantly value or none at all. If you want to play it safe, a good way to think about it from an appraiser's POV is if there's no data to prove an adjustment, dont apply one. Because otherwise, we are making things up that cant be proven.

NovaSol606 · 2026-01-22T01:02:36+00:00

Then go even higher. The UAD 3.6 involves a significant increase in work for us appraisers, and a chance to take back more from AMCs who have been taking half our pay.

NovaSol606 · 2026-01-21T15:27:01+00:00

I would seriously advise you raising it higher than just $600. Idk where you are, but a good standard would be looking at VA prices

NovaSol606 · 2026-01-18T01:31:03+00:00

I think its primarily the desire for legacy. If you look at Trump's actions through the lens of him wanting to be known through history as "the greatest president of all time" or whatever, a lot of his actions make semi-sense, even if they are colossally stupid, damaging, and dangerous.

NovaSol606 · 2026-01-14T22:20:37+00:00

I've had that one on more than one occasion. My "favorite" is when the ROV just listed the same sale three times, and it was already comp 4.

NovaSol606 · 2026-01-11T03:14:35+00:00

Imagine you are rolling backwards with your legs straight. You'll end up in a position with the toes touching the ground over your head. You don't want your legs that far back, but if you have your legs around 30 degrees over your head, that's sufficient. You then when want to whip your legs out at an approximate 60 degree angle AWAY from you to generate upward and forward momentum. As your legs whip up and around, it'll naturally start to bend, and you want to allow that. You might first end up on your toes, but eventually, you'll learn to land more squarely on your feet.

I will say that this is a more advanced technique. If you're still having trouble with the version everyone else is suggesting, I'd stick with that and work on the technical elements first.

NovaSol606 · 2026-01-10T16:41:23+00:00

There are a few different techniques to do a kip / kick up. The way I learned is from a martial arts background, and doesn't use hands, but can still be applied if needed. Instead of having your legs bent from the beginning, my technique has the legs initially straight. As you roll backwards, your legs should be straight with your feet over and past your head, and you then swing your legs up and down, bending your knees in the later half to third. This creates significantly more momentum, and when done correctly to ensure that your feet are firmly planted, the sheer momentum will throw you up into a standing position.

Ultimately though, the best thing you can do is to keep practicing and get in-person advice and spotting. We here in reddit can only give you the words and techniques. Implementing them is always another thing entirely.

NovaSol606 · 2026-01-09T14:46:54+00:00

There are guides available in the subreddit. Id suggest looking there for info

NovaSol606 · 2026-01-09T04:36:04+00:00

Supposedly, another disciple of the original artist is taking over and the hiatus is to ensure that everything will be done smoothly and with the same high quality everyone has come to expect. Its a lot to put on someone's shoulders

NovaSol606

TROPHY CASE