Pre-listing & FSBO appraisals · Hampton Roads
Know your home’s value before you set the price.
A pre-listing appraisal gives you an independent, written opinion of market value before your home goes on the market. Before ordering, understand how a seller’s report differs from the lender’s appraisal in a later financed purchase.
Joseph T Ellington Jr, a Virginia Licensed Residential Appraiser, personally inspects the property and prepares your report.
A clearer starting point
Why get an appraisal before listing?
You may have an asking price in mind, a real estate agent’s comparative market analysis, or an online estimate. An appraisal adds an independent analysis of your specific property and relevant market sales. An unusual layout, recent improvements, or a location that differs from nearby sales makes that property-specific analysis especially useful.
Price with context
Understand how your home compares with recent sales, including differences in size, condition, location, and features.
Plan before you list
Discuss updates and property characteristics that may matter to buyers. An improvement’s cost does not necessarily equal its contribution to value.
Sell on your own terms
If you’re selling for sale by owner, get a written value opinion without relying solely on automated estimates or asking prices.
Selling without an agent?
FSBO appraisals for a confident starting price
If you’re selling your home for sale by owner, you may be setting the initial price yourself. A written appraisal gives you a supported value opinion based on your property and relevant local sales. You can use it to inform your asking price and discuss value with prospective buyers.
The appraisal is not a promise of what the home will sell for. Offers, marketing, financing, and negotiations still affect the outcome.
Meet Joe Ellington and learn about Capital Valuations
One-minute overview
Watch: pre-listing and FSBO appraisals
See how an independent appraisal can help you make a more informed decision before putting your home on the market.
Simple process
What happens next
Request a quote
Send the property address and let us know when you plan to list. We’ll discuss the assignment and scheduling.
Meet the appraiser
Joe visits the property to observe its layout, condition, improvements, and other characteristics relevant to value.
Receive your report
Joe analyzes comparable sales and delivers a written appraisal you can use to inform your listing decision.
Before the visit
How to prepare
You don’t need to make the home look perfect. Clear access helps Joe observe the property, and information about recent work helps him understand it.
- Make the interior, garage, and exterior accessible.
- Share a list of significant updates and approximate dates.
- Have surveys, permits, or floor plans handy if available.
- Point out any condition issues or work still in progress.
Repairs & improvements
Should you make changes before selling?
Painting, repairs, and larger renovations can each affect a buyer’s impression of a home, but their costs do not automatically translate into equal increases in market value. The best choice depends on the work, the property, and competing homes in your market.
Tell Joe about completed updates and anything still planned. He can consider the home’s condition in the appraisal and explain the relevant market evidence. Ask about the right scope if you need a value opinion based on proposed work.
Common questions
Pre-listing appraisal FAQs
Is a pre-listing appraisal the same as an agent’s CMA?
No. An agent’s comparative market analysis helps develop a listing strategy. An appraisal is an independent opinion of value developed by a licensed appraiser for its stated use. Both can help you decide how to price and market the home.
Will the appraised value be my sale price?
Not necessarily. Your asking price is your decision, and the eventual contract price depends on the market, buyer interest, timing, and negotiations. The appraisal gives you a supported value opinion as of its effective date.
Can a buyer use my report for their mortgage?
A lender generally orders an appraisal for its own lending decision. Your pre-listing appraisal is prepared for your stated purpose and should not be assumed to replace the buyer’s lender appraisal.
Should I renovate before the appraisal?
There’s no need to start a renovation just to schedule an inspection. Tell Joe about planned work so you can discuss the property’s current condition and the appropriate appraisal scope. The cost of an improvement is not always recovered in market value.
What if I’m selling an inherited home?
Tell us why you need the value and the date it should reflect. A current pre-listing value and a past date-of-death value serve different purposes. Read about our estate appraisals and retrospective appraisals.
Other reasons to know your value
Need an appraisal for something else?
Tell Joe what decision the report needs to support. The purpose and effective date affect how the appraisal is developed.
Buying a home
Get an independent opinion before making a purchase decision. Explore purchase appraisals.
Estate matters
Ask about a value as of the date of death or another relevant date. Explore estate appraisals.
Divorce
Get a residential value opinion for a property division decision. Explore divorce appraisals.
See all appraisal services or browse the Capital Valuations appraisal blog.
Local pre-listing appraisals
Capital Valuations serves homeowners across Hampton Roads and the Peninsula. Learn more about appraisal services in your area:
Virginia Beach Norfolk Chesapeake Portsmouth Suffolk Hampton Newport News York County Williamsburg Poquoson
Ready when you are
Get a clear value opinion before you list.
Tell us about the property and your timeline. Joe will help you determine the right appraisal assignment for your sale.