When we go out to a home to do an inspection, there are 2 main things we need to do: measure the GLA, and take photographs of every room. The reason we take photographs is obvious– the lenders want to check the condition and make sure nothing weird is going on. Measurement, on the other hand, isn’t always so self-explanatory. So why do appraisers measure your home?
- It is a lender requirement.
It is a requirement that any appraisal for a federal loan includes a sketch of the subject property, complete with labelled rooms. The reasons why are… - Double check that GLA (gross living area) and county records match.
This is usually not a problem with homes built within the last 10 years, but if there is a large discrepancy between the appraiser measurement and county records, it can be a flag for additions (unpermitted, or sometimes permitted additions that have not been added to county records). Or, sometimes it is simply that the wrong number was entered into county records. - Does the floor plan conform or flow?
This is a question of functional obsolescence. We recently did a home that had an addition, and the result was that the master bedroom was only accessible by walking through another bedroom. We disclosed this, and the sketch showed it clearly. Doing the sketch and labeling the floor plans helps us notice things like that.
The last two reasons are why we measure homes even if it is not for a federal loan. It never hurts to double check the GLA, since this is one of the main criteria used for choosing comps.
This is a sketch we did last week, and the program we use to put the sketch into the report back at the office.
Home Measurement Services
We have done several measurements for homeowners who were not sure if their home matched county records, as well as for realtors who wanted to double check the GLA of their listings. This can be a great bonus for a listing, as it shows that the GLA has already been verified, and shows buyers a detailed floor plan. If you are interested in getting one of your listings or your home measured, shoot us an email today!
Have you ever owned or appraised a home or had a listing where the GLA was different than county records? How was the difference discovered? Let us know in the comments!
