Low ball appraisals can kill deals.  Here are some tips on what you can do to get the highest appraisal possible whether you are refinancing or selling your home.

1.  Spruce the house up.   Overgrown landscaping, soiled carpeting, marks on walls - these affect value and the overall property condition rating.

2.  Curb Appeal Matters.  Trim the hedges, pull the weeds, mow the law.  This will improve the actual front picture that the lender receives.  This will help offset your house from unfair comparisons of unkempt foreclosures nearby.

3.  Keep a list of improvements you have made over the past 15 years with approximate date and cost.  Highlight an item that an appraiser may not notice like a new roof or insulation.

4.  Have comparables on hand. Your Realtor can help you with that.

5.  No peeling paint.  Government insured loans require peeling paint to be removed in houses built before 1978.

6.  Location important.  Any changes to neighborhood from a new playground to a new Whole Foods are important.  If the area has just been declared an historic or land mark district, tell the appraiser.

7.  Appraisers often value houses in $500 increments, so if there is a repair needed over $500, it can count against the property.  Fix leaking faucets, cracked windows, missing hand rails, and structural damage.