What all is considered when appraising a house?

First off, all previous records will be accessed so that the history of the property can be learned. The house itself will be checked for damages or anything else that could hurt the final appraisal. The property is then compared to similar houses in the neighborhood that were recently sold.

It seems like all of the bases are covered in appraising a house except for one glaring omission. The energy efficiency of your home is not considered at all. That means that the money you spend making your house more efficient and keeping your energy costs down has no effect when you are trying to sell your home. This is an illogical move since it is the only addition to a home that does not count in raising the value of a home. If an additional room was added to a house, it would make perfect sense that the value would increase because of it. This same thinking should be applied to adding products to your house that increase energy efficiency.

If improving your house in this way is not rewarded, then home owners may feel like it is not worth it. Sure, their energy costs will still decrease, but if it is not deemed important for an appraisal, it may be a lower priority for home owners. Saving energy should be a high priority for everyone, and only when that process is encouraged and rewarded will people fully realize how important it is and how helpful it can be.