If you are planning on selling your home, you should invest in a home appraisal. A home appraisal is not the same as a home inspection, but will give you a bit more clout when it comes to getting a good price for your home, most of the time.

A home appraiser will come to your home and inspect the interior and the exterior of your home. He will examine all kinds of things including the area in which your home is located such as rural, suburban or urban and how fast the area is being occupied and if the area is a fast growing community. He will include other items such as the neighborhood, the lot dimensions, and the zoning. He will note what type of utilities your home uses, if there are any off site improvements, the shape of your lot, your drainage, the easements and any other characteristics of the lot itself.

A home appraiser will look over the home and will give details concerning the type of construction, the number of rooms in the home, if you have a garage, what type of insulation is in the home, the interior details on flooring, trim, walls, and doors. He will also add in his report the type of appliance that you use and the heating or air conditioning system and any other amenities you may have.

He will prepare a detailed report on how much, in today's market, it would cost to build a home like yours in the given area. This information also aids the insurance company in knowing how much coverage you need on your home.

The appraiser will also compare your home to other homes in the area that have been sold in the recent past. These are called comparables. The appraiser and sometimes the realtor will compare your home to others that are similar in size and amenities to evaluate your home's value.

He will take a look at any and all repairs that need to be done in the interior or exterior of your home. Then this information will also be a factor when determining what your home is really worth. (Get a free home appraisal)