1. Kitchen -Just adding a new faucet can be considered an update and it adds to your value.
2. Bathrooms- Update your toilets with high efficiency, low water usage toilets.
3. Location- Capitalize on your prime location. Corner lot, view, low tax area, etc. (point it out)
4. Check for foreclosures and short sales in the area (point them out) Available from your friendly title company.
5. Know your recent local sales market. (Check recent sales listings through news papers, online searches and drive the neighborhood looking for open houses)
6. Become good friends with your local real estate professional. (The one that has your neighborhood as their farm) Use them as a news resource!
7. Know the upgrades to your house and support them. (Keep a detailed list of these upgrades and before and after pictures would be very helpful)
8. Keep the public tax records up to date with correct square footage etc.
9. When getting a real estate appraisal use a reputable licensed appraiser through a quality nationally licensed Appraisal Management Company. (Like Liberty One)
10. Talk to your neighbors about their values. (Get the local scoop on your neighborhood real estate)
11. Keep your property in tip top shape. This will ad hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars to your home's value just for having a super trimmed yard.
12. De-clutter your house. A clean, clutter-free house can appraise for up to 10 percent higher than the exact same cluttered mess of a house.
13. Stage your home. Your space will look bigger with less furniture in it.
14. Make sure everything in your house works. When people will come to see your home whether they are buyers or appraisers, they will kick the tires. If there are knobs that are broken or loose, fix them.
15. Keep the lights on! If there is a feature in your home that is special, point it out. Keep the door open to a stunning closet before the appraiser comes.

For more information or resources please feel free to contact me.