One of the most difficult aspects of selling your own home is to objectively determine its value . Charge too little and you'll always wonder if you lost money on the deal. Ask for too much and you'll lose valuable time, and credibility. The easiest way is to hire an independent appraiser.
Appraisers obtain valuation information from tax record data bases and multiple-listing services.
After a careful inspection of your home to determine its specifications, condition, and special features, the appraiser compares your homes with like homes in your area. The final report will often show three to four comparables homes and an estimate of the home's value. Taken into consideration with market conditions, this should serve as a reasonable pricing guide. The inspection should tell you if the heating, cooling, electrical and plumbing systems are functioning properly and about the integrity of the structure itself. This should include the roof, subflooring, foundation, exterior materials, windows and doors.