An estate appraiser is a person who determines the approximate value of a building, such as a home, apartment or business. To get into this career, an individual must be licensed and meet all qualifications in his state or country. Working as an estate appraiser can lead to employment with a company, the government. Appraisers may also be self-employed. Some of the main duties associated with this career include visiting properties, inspecting the interior and exterior, inspecting neighboring properties, communicating with property owners and producing reports.
Typically, the first phase of appraisal involves visiting a property. Due to the nature of this job, a substantial amount of travel is often required, and individuals may have to drive for considerable distances. In most cases, an estate appraiser will also visit other areas of the surrounding community as well. This practice should give him a better idea of the property and the overall layout of the community.
Once an estate appraiser arrives at a property, he will usually inspect both the interior and exterior of the building. At this time, he will look for things like architectural features, structural damage, extra features and overall aesthetics. He may take notes or take photographs to review later on. This aspect of the job is where the knowledge and expertise of an estate appraiser comes into play. Throughout the inspection process, he will use his knowledge to determine a rough value of the property.
Along with inspecting a property, an estate appraiser will often inspect neighboring properties. For example, if he is appraising a home, he may look at the exteriors of other homes within the neighborhood. He may also look at local stores or schools within the community. Since these factors often determine the value of a property, they must be taken into consideration.
In many cases, an estate appraiser will also spend some time communicating with the current property owners. When doing a home appraisal, he might ask the property owners questions about the home's history, additions and any other relevant information. Information like this can sometimes affect the home's overall value.
In addition, an estate appraiser will usually be required to produce some reports on each property. When preparing reports, he will typically include information like the proposed property value, points of interest, average value of neighboring homes and how he determined the value. These reports will often be used later on when the property is put up for sale.