What To Know About the Home Appraisal Process When Buying a Home

Purchasing a home involves more steps than most first-time buyers expect. You find the right house, then make an offer, and get it accepted—but you're not done yet. Before you can close on the property, your lender will require a home appraisal, an independent assessment of what the home is actually worth.

The appraisal protects both you and the lender by confirming the home is worth what you've agreed to pay for it. If the appraisal comes in lower than your offer price, it can complicate your mortgage approval and the deal—but understanding how the process works helps you handle it confidently.

While choosing a home loan and understanding how much house you can afford are critical early steps, the appraisal is where those financial decisions get validated. Here's what happens during a home appraisal, what appraisers look for, who pays for it, and what to do if the number doesn't match your expectations.

What a home appraisal is and why lenders require one

A home appraisal is an unbiased professional opinion of a property's market value. Your lender orders it to make sure it's not lending you more money than the home is worth. If you default, it needs to know it can recoup its investment by selling the property. 

“The appraisal is a critical checkpoint because it helps protect the borrower and lender from overpaying for a home,” says Jake Vehige, president of mortgage lending at Neighbors Bank. “The intent of an appraisal is to give an independent and objective opinion of the home’s value. It takes the emotions and bidding pressure off the table and focuses on recent, comparable sales.”

The appraisal happens after your offer is accepted but before your loan is finalized. It's a required step in nearly every mortgage transaction, whether you're buying with a conventional loan, FHA, VA, or USDA financing. 

At first glance, a home appraisal might seem similar to a home inspection, but they serve different purposes. You hire a home inspector to evaluate the property's condition and identify potential problems, while an appraisal focuses solely on value. 

“Many buyers assume a home appraisal is the same as a home inspection, or that it’s a detailed report on every issue a property may have. In reality, the appraisal is primarily focused on the home’s value and whether it meets basic requirements for financing,” says Destinee Stice, vice president of loan origination at NewDay USA. 

What appraisers look for when valuing a home

Appraisers use a combination of factors to determine a home's value. They start by examining the property itself: the square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, lot size, condition, age, and any upgrades or renovations. They'll also note features like a finished basement, updated kitchen, or energy-efficient systems.

Next, they look at comparable sales, or "comps,” which are recently sold homes in the area that are similar in size, age, condition, and features. Appraisers typically use three to five comps from the last three to six months to establish a baseline value, then adjust up or down based on differences between those homes and yours.

Location also plays a major role. The appraiser considers the neighborhood, proximity to schools and amenities, and any external factors that could affect value, like being on a busy street.

The entire process typically takes a few hours. The appraiser will visit the home, take photos and measurements, and use this information to compare the property to recent comps.

Who pays for the home appraisal—and who the appraiser works for

As the buyer, you typically pay for the appraisal. The cost usually ranges from $300 to $600, depending on the size and location of the property. This fee is often included in your closing costs, though some lenders require payment upfront.

Even though you're paying for it, the appraiser works for the lender, not for you. They're hired to provide an independent, objective assessment, not to validate your offer price or help you negotiate. This protects the integrity of the appraisal process and ensures lenders aren't approving loans based on subjective values.

You'll receive a copy of the appraisal report, but the lender is the client. 

What happens when a home appraisal comes in low?

A common concern is that the appraisal on a home will come in lower than the purchase price, throwing a wrench into the transaction. First, know that this is a rare outcome. 

“It happens with well under 10% of appraisals,” says Vehige. “It’s not nearly as common or as scary as many buyers expect.”

If the appraisal comes in lower than your offer price, you have a few options. The simplest solution is renegotiating with the seller to lower the purchase price to match the appraised value. In a buyer's market, sellers may be willing to do this to keep the deal alive.

If the seller won't budge, you can make up the difference in cash. For example, if you offered $400,000 but the home appraised at $380,000, you'd need to bring an extra $20,000 to closing on top of your down payment. Your lender will only finance based on the appraised value, not your offer price. Use a mortgage calculator or affordability calculator to understand how different loan amounts will affect your monthly payment and overall budget.

You can also challenge the appraisal if you believe it contains errors or used inappropriate comps. Your real estate agent can help you gather evidence—such as recent sales data, details about upgrades the appraiser may have missed—and submit it to the lender for review. The lender may order a second appraisal or ask the original appraiser to reconsider, but there's no guarantee they'll change the value.

"The best way to prevent appraisal issues is to set the deal up correctly before the appraisal is even ordered, starting with an offer price grounded in the local market," says Stice. "Experienced agents should be running comparables before submitting an offer, and that analysis is key to avoiding an offer that's too far ahead of what the surrounding market supports."

Of course, you can also walk away from the deal. Most purchase contracts include an appraisal contingency that lets you back out and get your earnest money back if the appraisal comes in too low. This protects you from overpaying or being forced into a deal you can't afford.

In general, serious valuation issues are uncommon. But when they do arise, says Vehige, the appraisal is intended to act as a safeguard. 

“Those are difficult conversations to have with borrowers, but we know ultimately the appraisal helps ensure buyers aren’t taking on more financial risk than they can reasonably afford,” Vehige says.

Next steps after the home appraisal

Once the appraisal is complete and the value is acceptable to your lender, you're one step closer to closing. Your lender will continue processing your loan, verifying your finances, and preparing closing documents.

During this time, you'll also complete other due diligence steps, like your final walk-through to confirm the home's condition before you take ownership. If any issues were identified during the appraisal or inspection process, make sure they've been resolved before closing day.

The appraisal is just one piece of the homebuying puzzle, but your mortgage hinges on it. Understanding how the process works helps you navigate the steps with confidence and avoid surprises when you're close to the finish line.