6 Tips to Prepare for Your Personal Property Appraisal

Through the years, I've gathered six tips to help my clients make the most of each hour spent during their personal property appraisal. Whether you need an insurance appraisal of a select number of items, or an appraisal of many rooms full of objects for another purpose, read on to see how you can expedite the onsite appraisal process.

1. Decide which items you want to have evaluated.

In a room full, you may want just a few items appraised, or items that exceed a certain value or cost, like $250. Unsure which items might meet the dollar amount you choose? I can determine this during our appointment. I recommend tagging the items you're sure you want appraised with a post-it note or painters tape so we can move more efficiently from item to item.

2. Unpack items that are in drawers, trunks, boxes, or cabinets that you wish me to examine.

If possible, have each item that you would like to have appraised unpacked and on view. This ensures that you get the most out of our hourly rate and our time isn't spent unloading a china cabinet, accessing hard to reach items, or unpacking boxes. If this is not feasible, please let me know ahead of time and I'll be glad to bring an assistant or two.

3. Place things of like kind together, such as porcelain sets, silver or flatware, crystal, etc.

Do you have a full china service with over 80 pieces, or a set of silver flatware? If matching items are in one location, it makes for quicker data entry.

4. Gather together any receipts, sales slips, or earlier appraisals and place them near the appropriate items (if any).

Any sale information on the items appraised is helpful for all types of appraisal reports. Depending on the appraisal, I may ask the approximate date or place of purchase.

5. Gather any provenance; historical information or family history that relate to the items being appraised (if any).

6. Items may need to removed away from the wall.

Artwork high on a wall may need to be removed so I can determine condition and medium. Large pieces of furniture may need to be pulled away from the wall so that I can inspect the back, but this is not always necessary. If there are issues with lighting, access to items or other things that may make it hard for us to thoroughly inspect the items, please indicate that before we head out.

Tip for verbal appraisal clients: When conducting an oral/verbal (restricted use) appraisal, many clients prefer to create their own inventory/list of items to be appraised, and then provide me with a copy of the list when I arrive. While I'm there, I can use your "list" to insert values. If that doesn't work for you, please be prepared to take your own notes or price tag as we move from item to item. Note: verbal appraisals are only suitable for a couple of situations. Please inquire for additional details.

If you don’t have time or are unable to do the above preparations prior to my arrival, don’t worry, we’ll manage. Want learn more about our appraisal services? Call Ashley Nunneley at (916) 833-4678, or email ashley@nunneleyestates.com to request a copy of our fee schedule and schedule your appointment.