Do I need to be home during the appraisal?

The short version: your house has to be there, you don't

The appraiser needs to get inside, see every room, check that the systems work and take photos. None of that requires you personally. It requires a door that opens.

Navy Federal tells buyers it is not necessary for them to be present, and that the agent can help set up the appraisal and let the appraiser in. Opendoor's appraisal guide describes buyers as typically not present, and says sellers may or may not be, with the listing agent often attending.

So if you have a job, a dentist appointment or a strong desire not to watch a stranger measure your laundry room, you are covered. Arrange access, make sure the utilities are on and go about your day.

If you do stay, here is how to help

Being there can be useful. Freddie Mac says you may be present to answer questions, and it suggests politely pointing out features an appraiser might overlook at first glance.

Good things to mention:

• Upgrades you can't see: new sewer line, rewired electrical, new water heater, insulation
• The year the roof, windows and HVAC were replaced
• Permits for additions or remodels
• Anything unusual about the lot, like an easement or a shared driveway

Freddie Mac also recommends a one-page list of improvements with completion dates. Hand it over at the door. That is the most valuable sixty seconds of the whole visit.

Then let the appraiser work. Freddie Mac's advice is to never hover and to let them see the home at their own pace. If you find yourself standing in the hallway narrating the history of your crown molding, take that as a sign to go water the plants.

What not to do while the appraiser is there

Freddie Mac is direct about this: there is a rule against pressuring or threatening an appraiser to get a certain value. Appraiser independence is real, and lenders take it seriously.

In plain terms, avoid:

• Telling the appraiser what number you need
• Mentioning what the buyer offered as if that settles it
• Asking "so what do you think it's worth?" on the way out
• Following the appraiser room to room

The contract price is one buyer and one seller agreeing. The appraisal looks at what the wider market has actually paid for similar homes. Facts help your value. Feelings, however heartfelt, do not go on the grid.

If you have comparable sales you think were missed, give them to your agent. Afterward, if the value seems off, the formal route is a reconsideration of value through the lender.

Access, pets and tenants can cost you a second trip

Here is where being absent can hurt: when nobody arranged access. Navy Federal warns that if the appraiser has to come back because they couldn't get in or the utilities were off, there may be an extra fee. Opendoor adds that if an appraiser can't get into a space, it may be noted as incomplete.

Common trip-ups:

• A lockbox code that was changed and never shared
• A garage with no remote and no key
• A padlocked side gate or shed
• Utilities shut off in a vacant house
• A tenant who did not get notice

Each of these turns a 45-minute visit into a reschedule. An unfinished report sits in limbo, and your escrow clock keeps ticking.

Freddie Mac suggests keeping pets outdoors or in the garage during the appraisal and keeping noise and distractions down. Your dog may be the friendliest dog in the county. I still need to open the closet without being escorted by sixty pounds of enthusiasm.

If the property is rented, coordinate with the tenant well ahead of time. Tell them who is coming, when, and that every room needs to be seen. A tenant who feels ambushed is a tenant who "can't find" the key to the back bedroom.

Kids are welcome. Just keep the bedroom doors open and the hallway clear so the appraiser can move through the house and take photos.

What I see in the field

After more than 25 years of walking through homes, I can tell you the owner being home almost never changes the number. What changes the visit is preparation.

The smoothest appointments go like this: the agent or owner opens the door, hands me a short list of upgrades with dates, mentions the two things I could not see on my own, and then disappears. I measure, photograph, check the systems and leave. Nobody has to make small talk about the weather for forty minutes.

The rough ones usually involve a missing key, a dog that considers me an intruder or a tour guide who wants to explain each paint color. None of that is personal, and none of it lowers the value. It just makes it harder to see the house clearly, and a clear look is what you want.

One more thing. If you are home and I ask a question, a short factual answer is perfect. "The roof was replaced three years ago, here is the invoice" beats a story every time.

A checklist if you will not be home

1. Confirm who is opening the door: your agent, a neighbor or a lockbox. Share the code with whoever schedules.
2. Leave keys and remotes for the garage, gates, sheds and any detached unit in an obvious spot.
3. Check that utilities are on: power, water, gas, heat and air conditioning.
4. Leave your one-page upgrade list on the kitchen counter with permit copies if you have them.
5. Put pets away or take them with you.
6. Notify tenants in writing if the home is occupied by someone else.
7. Ask your agent to text you when the appraiser is done, so you know it went smoothly.