How can I make my house look cheaper to a person who is appraising my house?

Question

I need to make our house look cheaper to an appraiser. I'm trying to help my mom because if we dont and the house is appraised highly my dad can get a LOT of our money. :(

So far we have the shower running just a bit to make it look like its leaking, and boxes everywhere, and we have pretty old furnature.

Any other suggestions? thank you so muchh!!!!!!

alright i am sorry i did not make this clear at first.

I know 50% is supposed to go to each person - but in my case it isn't. I dont like my dad, but i addmit he is fairly brilliant and he knows what he's doing with numbers. He adjusted everything so that he has about 70% so far or more. My mom is unemployed and my dad can make up to more than a million a year and this is why we need to get as much from the divorce as possible. My dad also knows many of the appraisers and is friends with them so they will already be on his side, and we need to do everything we can to lower the cost of the house. If the house is appraised for 2 million - which he wants - we have to give him two million. the house is only worth about 1.5, so thats an extra half a mil which we cannot afford to give him.

Sorry for the rant, i just dont appreciate people who think they know just what is going on here and are rude about it, my family is more dysfunctional than most.

Answer 1

Is it your moms idea?... That is sad...

Answer 2

There are many things that go into putting a appraisal together. The amount of land that you have, the size of the home, are more along the lines of what the appraiser will be looking at. None of the things that you are thinking of take a part in this as they are fixable damage. Also, the appraiser will look at houses that have recently sold in that area for an idea of pricing. I suggest that you just let the appraiser do his job and what each ends up with be final. Anything else could be worse.

Answer 3

Short of damaging the house which will actually make it less valuable, there is very little that you can do. Appraisers are professional and trained. They will look at the size of the house and lot, the number and type of rooms on each floor, the construction of the house (brick , stone, wood frame, etc) and the condition of the roof. They may check the outside condition of the foundation. Further down the list are the condition of the furnace, hot water heater, central air. The kitchen might be checked for age and condition of appliances. If the appraiser gets to that running shower, he/she might just reach in and shut off the water. Another very big item in assessing a house is the neighborhood. You aren't going to adjust that.
As for the "our money", if that money was earned while your parents were married, it is their communal money. Be aware that courts could order the actual sale of a house and a division of the funds.

Answer 4

hmmm... make sure the yard is unkempt, chip the paint off of the walls, knock a minor hole or two in the wall. Spill some grape juice on the carpet before the appraiser comes over. Dump trash out on the porch and when the appraiser is there scratch your arms and legs and mutter about, "The damn fleas!"

Oh and stop up the toilets to make them look like they don't work.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Hi..

an appraiser won't look at the old furniture or boxes. he looks a the structure, how much property/land is involved. the area in which you live also has an effect on the property value.

unless you want to tear walls up, grow a lot of mold and rip out all the plumbing... and mess up the roof and other parts of the structure, the appraisal value is going to be in the the same ballpark regardless of your furniture and a messy house.

i don't know why your dad might get a lot of your money, but it sounds like there is a divorce involved? hon... you need to let your parents solve their own problems... and deal with your own.

i sure hope everything works out well for you and your mom.

Answer 6

Don't vacuum
have dishes in the sink
unscrew a light bulb or 2 so it looks burnt out
Leave it kind of dirty looking
And unless the appraiser know why they're there, tell him/her that they can kind of low ball the appraisal b/c you aren't trying to make a killing on it, just break even, etc.

Answer 7

lol...=)...put a few holes in the walls...if you have siding...try to tear some of it off...make the walls dirty...hmmm...peel off some wallpaper make it look crappy...oh, don't clean for a week, haha...hmmm...make some stains on the carpet...=)...put some iron burns on the carpet too =)...put a hole or 2 in a door...hmmm...take a cabinet door off or 2...hehe...gee...shake up a pop bottle and let it spray on the kitchen ceiling, lol...pull up some tile...now, make sure these are subtle things...um...break a window and cover it w/ plastic? lol...hmmm...let the grass grow...as long as you can get away with...sidewalk chalk...lots of it...on the sidewalks, lol! hey gypsy like the gutter idea lol...

Answer 8

Let the neighborhood dogs and cats pee and crap in the carpet through out the house,, and when you take a crap finger paint little tulips all over the bath room wall..

Answer 9

Even if your house is appraised lowly, can't your dad still get a lot of the money?

Answer 10

In addition to the first answer, make it look like your neighbours are the neighbours from hell by having them rough up their gardens too, and have binbags lining the front fence or something. Or a nasty dog in the yard.

Answer 11

short of actually decreasing the value by destruction - nothing.

they are on to your game.

superficial stuff adds very litle to the $value your house. its the area, the market, and the structure that concerns them