Hink Appraisals 

How do I need to prepare my house for the appraisal?

You do not need to worry about housekeeping. We understand that we all live busy lives, and your property may not be “show home” ready. The appraiser is there to assess the real estate—not to judge your housekeeping.

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For most appraisal services, we are required to enter every room of the house and any accessory structures. We also need to be able to access important components such as the furnace, electrical panel, water heater, and other mechanical systems. If any areas will not be accessible, we recommend discussing this with your appraiser prior to the appointment.

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With your permission, we will likely need to take interior photographs as part of the appraisal process. We take care when photographing the property and make every effort to avoid including personal belongings, identifying information, or people in photographs whenever possible. You can decline photographs; however, we recommend discussing this with your appraiser, broker, lender, or other intended user before the appointment. Depending on the purpose of the appraisal, a report without interior photographs may not be accepted by the client. Additionally​​ please note that declining photographs may require significantly more detailed written documentation and can make the inspection more time-consuming. An additional inspection fee may apply when photographs are declined. This will be discussed with you in advance whenever possible.

 

What about our pets?

We’re animal lovers and welcome our furry, feathered, and scaly friends! 🐾 We’ve seen just about everything, so there’s no need to worry about your pets being around during the appraisal.

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For everyone’s safety, we do ask that animals that may become aggressive or overly protective be secured or appropriately restrained during the appointment. ​Some pets can also act a little out of character when strangers enter their home. If your pet becomes anxious, protective, or disruptive, we may simply ask that they be put away or restrained for the remainder of the visit. If this hjappens please, don’t apologize! We completely understand. We’re strangers walking into their home, and not every pet is going to be thrilled about it!

Is there anything you need from us?

If there is anything need, we will ask when we are booking the appointment. Some common documents/information is helpful but not always necessary includes:

• Building plans, surveys, plot plans
• Most recent tax
• List of upgrades
• Offer to purchase
• Pertaining to condominiums, common element fees, parking, etc.

How do you determine the value?

There are three recognized approaches to value: the Direct Comparison, Cost, and Income Approaches. The appraiser determines which approaches are applicable to the property and market, and reconciles the applicable approaches into a final estimate of market value.

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The Direct Comparison Approach estimates value by comparing the subject property to similar properties that have recently sold. This approach reflects the actions of buyers and sellers in the current market and is typically given the greatest weight for residential properties.

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The Cost Approach estimates value based on the cost to construct a new or substitute property, considering land value and depreciation. However, it is often less applicable because cost does not necessarily equal value.

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The Income Approach estimates value based on a property's ability to generate future income, with the anticipated income converted into a present value.

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Not every approach is applicable to every property. For example, the Income Approach is generally not applicable to typical owner-occupied residential properties, which are primarily bought and sold for their residential use rather than income-producing potential.

I have concerns about my personal safety/privacy.

We take our own safety and privacy very seriously and understand that you should too. We abide by high standards professionalism and comply with PIPEDA (Personal Information and Electronic Documents Act) and the Appraisal Institute of Canada's CUSPAP (Canadian Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice). We are happy to discuss any personal safety or privacy concerns you may have to ensure mutual trust and respect. 

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We understand that some clients may have personal, cultural, religious, or privacy-related reasons for requesting a female appraiser. Hink Appraisals is 100% female-owned and operated, and all of our appraisers are women. If having a female appraiser is important to you, you can feel confident that your request can be accommodated. As our team is exclusively female, we are unfortunately unable to accommodate requests for a male appraiser.

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