Whether you’re buying or selling a home, you want to hire a real estate appraiser. He or she will assess your home and give you a number you should use as an asking or bidding price. The number will be based on the size, age, and condition of the property, as well as current market conditions.

Buyers need home appraisers because they help to assess a home to see if it has been priced correctly. If it is overpriced, knowing that fact is good for negotiating purposes. Also, knowing the official appraisal price helps when it comes to getting a mortgage.

For the seller, having an appraisal helps to set the correct asking price. Ask for too much, and your home with languish on the market with no bidders. Ask for too little, and you just might get it!