A few weeks ago appraiser blogger Tom Horn wrote about a great tool that appraisers should carry to check electrical circuits. That article got me thinking today when I pulled an important appraiser tool out of my car. I don’t use it often, but when I do, I’m not sure what I would do without it. Today I used my angle finder.
Once in a while I run across homes that are built on angles that are not 90 degrees or 45 degrees. When that happens, it is important to measure the angle so that the shape is drawn correctly into the computer, so the sketch closes, and the resultant square footage estimate is accurate.
Often angles can be measured by obtaining the rise and the run of the wall. However, this can be difficult if the length of the angled wall is long and there is little perspective to square up the rise and run measurement. The tool that I use is a digital angle finder from Amazon that fits easily into my pocket (when I think I might need it) and costs only about $20. One nice feature of this gauge is the reverse angle button that allows me to switch to the angle of incidence (the angle that drawing programs use for an input). There are other less expensive options available as well like an angle finder from Harbor Freight for under five dollars.
To insert the reading of the angle finder into an a la mode Total sketch, I simply draw a line and then select Tools, then Draw Angle to Left or Draw Angle to Right, and input the angle into the dialogue box. Angles can also be selected by clicking Modify and dragging the line to the desired angle, or by using the following key strokes (for the above example): 15 (length of wall), R (direction of angle), 31 (angle), Enter.
Here is a link to an a la mode training video that covers the two ways to draw angles with Total Sketch.
Did I leave anything out or do you want to join in the conversation? Let me know in the comments below. If you need a home measured, try our measurement floor plan sketching service (some call it “Room Service”).
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You are getting ready to list your home for sale and the real estate agent suggests that you have a floor plan measurement sketch done by an appraiser. Some real estate appraisers and agents in Portland, Oregon call floor plans “Room Service.” Floor plans are a great idea to assist in marketing your property attractively and accurately. A diagram helps buyers visualize the layout of the house before they visit it.
When an appraiser measures a home in Portland, most often the measurements turn out to be slightly larger than county records show. However, in this example, the appraiser spends over an hour at your property and produces a beautiful drawing, but the measurements are smaller than those that are recorded by the county or other sources. What should you do?
Understand that it is better to advertise the correct square footage. Listing the property with overstated measurements could increase liability, cause a frustratingly low appraisal, result in a failed sale, or lead to increased buyer negotiating leverage.
Put it in perspective. By how much is the square footage smaller? Many buyers will not even recognize a loss of only 50 or 100 square feet. Small variations in measurements from one appraiser to the next are common and are usually insignificant, often resulting from rounding.
If you think that the appraiser has made an error, use the floor plan sketch to go around the house and individually check the measurements. Remember that areas are typically measured from the outside. In addition, stairs are included in all levels but finished areas less than five feet in ceiling height (common under the roof slope in attics) are not (when using ANSI). I recommend checking to see if things make sense. For example, if you know that the second floor occupies the same footprint as the main floor, check to see that those measurements are the same on both floors.
Did I leave anything out or do you want to join in the conversation? Let me know in the comments below.
In February I wrote a blog post about the value of our Portland appraiser home measurement service and how it can increase the sales price of a home, reduce liability for the agent, and reduce problems at closing. Since that post, response for the service has been overwhelming and we have been receiving feedback on the product. Based on customer demand, we offer our clients home measurement service with or without floorplan depiction of interior walls as shown in the image above.
The basic home measurement service focuses on providing just the information that agents need when entering accurate data in the RMLS. This includes the total living area for each level of the home and the room dimensions. However, we find that including the floorplan layout of interior walls makes listing packets look even more attractive. As a result, floorplan measurement with interior walls has become our most popular product.