Appraisal came in lower than expected—now what?

jongamerpro · 2025-04-14T08:48:26Z

Just got the appraisal back for our refinance and it's lower than we thought it'd be... not by a ton, but enough to make me pause. We did a few upgrades last year (new flooring, paint, etc.) so I was kinda counting on it being higher, you know? Has anyone had luck disputing or challenging an appraisal? Or is it usually better to just accept and move forward? Curious if it's worth the hassle or if we're just stuck with this amount.

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summitchessplayer

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I’ve definitely seen the “dated hardware” effect firsthand—just swapping out old brass pulls for matte black can make a kitchen look ten years younger. I do wonder, though, how much weight appraisers really give to those details versus just ticking boxes for upgrades. Like you said,

“sometimes it’s just about making it look like someone would want to move in tomorrow.”

I once helped a client repaint just the baseboards and swap curtains before an appraisal, and it honestly shifted the whole vibe. It’s wild how something so minor can change the perception of value, even if nothing structural has changed.