What paperwork should you hand the appraiser?

The folder answers questions the appraiser would otherwise have to research or guess at. Keep it to a few pages. A thick binder of appliance manuals slows everyone down.

• Permits and final inspection approvals for additions, finished basements, converted garages and large decks.
• Your upgrade list, written the way the next section describes.
• A survey or plat, if you have one.
• HOA name, current dues and any special assessment notices.
• Solar, battery or water treatment paperwork showing whether the equipment is owned or leased.
• Recent inspection reports, if you have them and are comfortable sharing.

Fannie Mae asks appraisers to label areas of the home as not updated, updated or remodeled. Updated means modest modernization. Remodeled means significant finish or structural change, such as replacing cabinets, moving plumbing or adding square footage. A photo cannot show when work happened or how deep it went. Your list can.

A useful line reads something like: "2021, roof replaced down to the deck" or "2019, kitchen remodeled with new cabinets, counters and a relocated sink."

Energy features deserve their own lines. The guide asks appraisers to note items such as solar panels, energy efficient windows, insulated ducts and tankless water heaters, so name them plainly rather than hoping they get spotted.

When an appraiser finds an addition without the required permit, Fannie Mae's guide says the report must comment on the quality and appearance of the work and its effect, if any, on market value. That comment gets written either way. A permit with a final inspection keeps it short.

Permits also explain square footage. Appraisers measure single family homes under the ANSI Z765 standard, and rooms below grade are reported separately from above grade living area, however nicely finished. If the county record shows less space than you use, the permit trail explains the gap.

Fannie Mae treats panels leased from a third party, or owned by one under a power purchase agreement, as personal property rather than part of the home. A copy of the purchase contract or the lease settles the question in seconds.

Fannie Mae's guide also requires the lender to disclose condo or PUD fees, personal property included in the sale, and environmental hazards the lender knows about. You do not need to duplicate any of that. Keep your folder focused on the house itself: what was built, what was replaced, and when.