We redid our kitchen thinking it'd boost the appraisal big-time, but honestly, it was kinda underwhelming. The appraiser barely seemed to notice the fancy countertops we agonized over, haha. Weirdly enough, my neighbor just tidied up their landscaping—nothing major, just some curb appeal—and their appraisal jumped noticeably. Makes me wonder if first impressions matter more than we think? Or maybe it's just luck of the draw with appraisers...
Had a similar experience when we refinished our basement. Thought it'd be a slam dunk for appraisal value, but the appraiser barely blinked at it. Funny enough, he spent more time complimenting our freshly painted front door and porch plants—go figure. Seems like curb appeal really does set the tone. Don't beat yourself up though, at least you get to enjoy those countertops every day... that's gotta count for something, right?
Had a similar surprise when we upgraded our master bath a few years back. Thought the heated floors and custom tile work would really boost the appraisal, but nope—the appraiser barely mentioned it. Instead, he spent half the time talking about how nice our landscaping looked from the street. Lesson learned: curb appeal really does matter more than you'd think. But hey, at least stepping onto warm tiles every morning makes it worth it... even if the appraisal didn't exactly reflect that.
"Lesson learned: curb appeal really does matter more than you'd think."
I hear you on that one. When we refinanced a couple years ago, we thought our new energy-efficient windows and upgraded insulation would impress the appraiser. Nope... barely a mention. Instead, he went on about how nice our freshly painted front door looked. Guess first impressions really do count more than we realize. But hey, at least our heating bills dropped significantly, so still worth it in my book.
Totally get where you're coming from. Appraisers seem to have their own checklist, and it's not always what we'd expect. When we refinanced, I thought our new roof would be a big deal, but nope—they were more interested in the landscaping and driveway condition. Still, like you said, the real value is in those lower bills and comfort upgrades. Plus, curb appeal never hurts when it comes time to sell down the road...
