Re appr unit 8

Unit 8: Inspecting the Subject Property

 Inspecting the Property
• Introduction
o Appraisers perform unbiased valuation services for
their clients, whereas home inspectors work in the
interest of the homebuyer.
o An appraiser’s inspection includes a general
description of the structure and a visual inspection of
the exterior and interior of the dwelling.
o When appraising a new home or appraising a home
from the plans, an elevation sheet for the home can
aid the appraiser.

 Inspecting the Property (continued)
• Type of Architectural Design
o When an appraiser arrives at a site, one of the first things he
or she notices is the type of home and its architectural
influence or design.
 The type of home refers to the number of stories: one, one-
and-one-half, two, split-level, or multi-level.
o Architectural design is the cohesive element that blends the
structural, functional, and decorative elements of a property
into a whole.
o It is important that the subject property’s architectural
design is harmonious with other homes in the immediate
neighborhood.
o Historic styles are called Postmodern or Neo-Eclectic.

o Ranch Styles
 Ranch style houses are one-story, rambling, rectangular, L-
shaped or U-shaped, with a low-pitch gable or hipped roof,
attached garage, stucco, wood, or brick exterior walls, picture
windows, and sliding doors leading to patios.
 Due to the horizontal nature of the style, these houses need
wide lots.
 A Raised-Ranch style house has two stories.
 The Split-Level Ranch style is a variation of the Ranch style.
Instead of just one level floor plan, split-levels usually have
three levels at varying heights.
• The mid-level entry has stairs leading to the other two levels.

o Mediterranean Style
 The Mediterranean style is the blend of the Italian,
Moorish, Byzantine, and the early California mission
styles.
• This style utilizes white or light-colored stucco on the
exterior and a red tiled gable roof with very little or no
overhanging eaves.
o Cape Cod Style
 The Cape Cod home is usually rectangular-shaped, one to
one- and-one half stories, and has a steeply pitched gable
roof with a small overhang.
 The multi-paned windows with ornamental wood shutters
are placed symmetrically on both sides of the front door.

o Colonial Styles
 Colonial style homes are rectangular, symmetrical, two to
two-and-one-half story houses with windows arranged in an
orderly fashion around a central front door.
 Colonial Revival homes feature wood exteriors with tall wood
columns that typically are painted white.
 The Georgian Colonial Revival style has paired chimneys (one
on each side) and five windows across the front of the second
story.
 The Regency style is very similar to the Georgian except it has
an octagonal window over the front door, double-hung
windows, and a chimney on the far left or right side of the
house.
 The Federal style is similar to the Georgian except it has
more ornamentation, dentil moldings, decorative garlands,
Palladian-style windows, and fanlights.

o Colonial Styles
 The Dutch Colonial Revival houses are one to two-and-one-
half stories with shed-like dormers.
• They are identified easily by a distinctive gambrel roof.
• The front door may be a Dutch door, which is a horizontally
divided double door.
 The Spanish Colonial Revival houses are rectangular,
symmetrical, and two stories high.
• They have low-pitched gable roofs with ceramic tiles, eaves
with little or no overhang, stucco walls, wrought iron, and
windows and doorways with round arches.
 The Florida Caribbean homes reflect the influence of
Bahamian, African, Creole, and Victorian design.
• Many details such as ship’s walks, crow’s nests, and roof
hatches for ventilation were adopted from the shipping and
fishing industries.

o Victorian Styles
 The term Victorian describes many styles built between the 1830s
and early 1900s.
 This style is known for its elaborate bric-a-brac, excessive
gingerbread, trim work, and other ornamentation.
 Three popular Victorian styles are the Queen Anne, Folk Victorian,
and Second Empire.
• Queen Anne homes have multiple stories with projecting wings, a
complicated roofline with very steep cross-gabled roofs, towers,
turrets, vertical windows and balconies, multiple chimneys with
decorative chimney pots, scrollwork, bric-a-brac, gingerbread, and
gingerbread with frosting.
• The Folk Victorian style is the affordable version of the Queen Anne.
They are asymmetrical, rectangular, or L-shaped, with white wood
siding, steep gabled roofs, and a front porch with turned spindles.
• Second Empire style houses are symmetrical, boxy, and two-to-three
stories. Typical ornamentation includes paired columns and elaborate
wrought iron along the rooftop. The most striking feature is the high,
boxy Mansard roof, which allows more usable living space in the upper
story.

o Bungalow Styles
 Bungalows are one of the most common houses found in
older neighborhoods and are characterized by simplicity
and emphasis on horizontal rather than vertical lines.
 The California Bungalow has a low profile, with one to
one-and-one-half stories, a square shape, with a low-
slung gable or hip roof, an offset entry with a wide front
porch, and exterior walls finished with stucco and natural
stone.
• The Craftsman Bungalow is larger than the traditional
California Bungalow.
o Other differences include rows of high, small “ribbon”
windows, full-width porches framed by tapered columns,
and overhanging eaves with exposed rafters.

o Period Styles
 Period styles get their inspiration from the architectural styles
of the past.
 The first two-story Monterey style was built in 1853 when
Thomas Larkin designed a house that blended the English
Colonial with the single-story Spanish Colonial style, which
was then prevalent in Monterey.
• The most distinguishing feature of the Monterey style is the
second-story balcony on the front of the house.
 Since the Mission style house originated in California, the
style is often called the California Mission style.
• A parapet is a low wall projecting from the edge of a platform,
terrace, or roof.
• They are one to two stories, rectangular shaped, and have flat
roofs with red tile accents.
• Most Mission style houses have arched windows and a small
courtyard entry with an arched front door.

o Period Styles
 The thick, earth-colored adobe walls and flat roofs with
rounded parapets of the Santa Fe style make these houses
look chunky, but they are suitable for hot, dry climates.
• Sometimes red clay tile accents on the roof and enclosed
patios add a Spanish influence.
• The Pueblo Revival style is another version of the Santa Fe,
which is characterized by roof beams (vigas) that protrude
through the walls and help support the roof.
• Typical of the Territorial style is a more angular look, with
square corners replacing the round corners of the Santa Fe
style.

o Period Styles
 The traditional English Tudor is a large, two-story
masonry or stucco, steep-gabled house with a definite
medieval feel.
• The Elizabethan (Tudor Revival) variation of this style is
asymmetrical, has a very steep cross-gabled roof, a
prominent chimney, and half-timbered exteriors.
• Both styles are characterized by patterned brick or stone
walls, rounded doorways, and multi-paned casement
windows.
• Another characteristic is the massive chimney placed in a
prominent location and often topped with a decorative
chimney pot.

o Period Styles
 The English Cottage style is patterned after the rustic
cottages constructed in the Cotswold region of
southwestern England since medieval times.
• They are asymmetrical with an uneven sloping roof of slate
or cedar that mimics the look of thatch.
• The multi-pane casement windows and low entry door help
create a cozy feeling.
 French Provincial style houses are large, square,
symmetrical two-story houses with a distinctive steep,
high, hip roof. The exterior is usually white brick or
stucco.
• Tall second floor windows break through the cornice.

o Period Styles
 The main characteristic of French Normandy style is the
round stone tower topped with a cone-shaped roof.
• Vertical half-timbering adds height to the house.
o Modern Styles
 Modern style homes have clean lines, smooth surfaces, and
little or no ornamentation.
 This resulted in the Art Deco, Art Moderne, International, and
Contemporary styles.
 The Art Deco style became popular in the 1920s and 30s, is
two or more stories, and emphasizes the vertical lines.
• Glass blocks, metals, plastics, and other machine-made
materials are used extensively.
• Geometric designs such as zigzags, chevrons, diamonds, and
sunbursts are arranged in horizontal bands and painted or cut
out near the roofline.

o Modern Styles
 The Art Moderne style is the precursor of future house
design, displaying extreme simplicity.
• It has a horizontal, cube-like shape with a flat roof and
rounded corners.
• Casement windows are evenly spaced.
 The International style is modern, asymmetrical, and very
practical in its use of concrete, glass, and steel to create
sleek lines.
• With a flat roof and floor-to-ceiling “window walls,” the design
is avant-garde.
 Contemporary style houses are characterized by attractive,
simple, clean lines and the combination of stone, glass,
masonry, and wood in the exterior.
• These asymmetrical houses can be one or more stories with a
roof that is flat or very low-pitched.

o Factory-Built Houses
 Manufactured houses are built entirely in the factory.
 Modular homes are comprised of units (or modules) built
at a factory that are transported to the home site and
assembled on-site.
 Panelized homes arrive to the site in smaller units, usually
as completed walls with all the wiring and plumbing
intact.
 The precut home is like a house in a box.

• Exterior Inspection
o Introduction
 The substructure refers to all the below grade
improvements.
 The superstructure refers to all the above grade
improvements.
o Foundations
 The foundation or substructure of a home supports the
entire building, and transfers the weight of the building to
the ground.
 Slab-on-grade foundation is where the structure sits
directly on the ground.
 A raised foundation is a foundation that is the main floor
of a home that is raised above the plane of the
surrounding earth.

o Foundations
 Raised foundation
• A raised foundation is a grid system of beams (girders),
piers, and footings.
• A crawlspace is a low space beneath a floor of a building to
give workers access to wiring and plumbing.
• A basement is partially or entirely below ground.
• Finished areas are the enclosed areas in a home that are
suitable for year-round use.
• Unfinished areas are the areas of a home that do not meet
these criteria.
• A sump pump is essential in keeping crawlspaces or
basements dry and preventing moisture and mildew
problems.

o Roofing
 The style and condition of a roof can affect the value of a
home, and a roof in poor condition can significantly
detract from the value of the home.
 Roof Coverings
• Must be able to shed water and protect the interior of the
home from the weather
• Must be durable, aesthetically pleasing, easy to apply,
reasonably priced, and not too heavy
 Roof Framing
• Uses joists and rafters spaced from 12 inches to 24 inches
apart on centers
• Rafters and joists support the weight of the sheathing,
roofing material, and roof mounted equipment

o Roofing
 Roof Flashing
• Flashing defines the material used to prevent the intrusion
of water at the place where dissimilar materials or surface
planes intersect.
• Flashing is installed at any roof penetration where leaks
may occur such as chimneys or vents, and any exterior wall
openings such as windows or doors.
 Ventilation
• Adequate ventilation is essential to prolong the life of the
roof covering as well as the building materials used in the
roof structure.
• Soffit vents and attic fans aid ventilation of the roof.

o Doors
 Doors usually come as packaged units that need to fit
squarely in their frames, open, and close smoothly without
binding.
 They come in solid, hollow, or paneled varieties.
 French doors are double doors hinged at either side.
o Windows
 Window frames and sashes are usually made of wood,
metal, vinyl, or fiberglass.
 Most windowpanes are conventional glass but some may
be laminated glass, tempered glass, or even wired-glass.
 Energy-efficient windows (low E, dual-glazed, and triple-
glazed) decrease the amount of heat loss in cold months
and the cool air escaping during warm months.

o Windows
 Fixed windows do not open or move at all.
 Skylights are a type of fixed window.
 Traverse windows slide from side to side.
 Sliding glass doors are simply large, traverse windows.
 In single-hung windows, the bottom portion slides up.
 In double-hung windows, both top and bottom parts move up and down.
 Types of hinged windows include casement, awning, transom, and
hopper.
 Casement windows have hinges on the sides and are opened with cranks.
 A French window is actually two casement windows placed side by side.
 An awning window is hinged at the top and opens out.
 A transom window is hinged at the top and opens into the room.
 A hopper window (or eyebrow) is hinged at the bottom and opens into
the room.
 Jalousie windows do not slide or use a hinge, instead, they have narrow
glass slats like Venetian blinds that are opened and closed with a crank.

o Cladding
 Cladding in general can refer to any external,
weatherproof protective skin or device for the exterior
surfaces of the home and includes surface coatings and
exterior cladding systems.
 Surface Coatings
• The outermost layer of house is a layer of paint or similar
coating and is only a few thousandths of an inch thick.
 Exterior cladding systems, such as wood siding, shingles,
or brick have both an aesthetic and a functional role.
• Siding refers to overlapping horizontal boards made from
wood, vinyl, or aluminum.
o Vinyl siding is widely used today due to its low cost, low
maintenance, and relative durability.

o Cladding
 Exterior cladding systems
• Shingles. Wood shingles are commonly used in combination
with wood siding.
• Stucco is a mixture of cement, sand, and lime which is applied
over a frame construction.
o Half-timbering is a method of construction in which the
wooden frame and principal beams of a structure are
exposed, and the spaces between are filled with stucco,
brick, or stone.
• Bricks are made in a variety of colors and can be laid in many
patterns to create a distinctive and pleasing appearance.
o Adobe bricks are made with a mixture of clay and straw,
formed into brick shapes, and dried in the sun rather than in
a kiln.

o Cladding
 Trim
• Trim refers to the finishing materials in a building, such as
moldings applied around openings (window and door trim)
or at the floor and ceiling of rooms (baseboard, cornice,
and other moldings).
o Trim around windows is also known as casing.
• Interior Inspection
o Introduction
 The appraiser now uses that perimeter sketch and fills in
the room layout and other interior details.
 Size for the interior of the home is reported in terms of
gross living area (GLA), which is the total amount of
finished, above ground habitable space.

o Introduction
 The gross building area (GBA) is the total amount of all
enclosed floor areas and does include basements and
attics.
 The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has a
standard method for calculating floor areas in single-
family dwellings, “Square Footage Method for Calculating,”
ANSI Z765-2003.
o Floors
 Floors need to be level, well supported, smooth, and easy
to navigate so they do not trip occupants.
 Finish flooring can be made of concrete, wood strips or
planks, carpet, resilient tile, ceramic tile, or quarry tile
(stone and marble).

o Walls and Ceilings
 Interior Walls
• Interior walls are a decorative finish made from different
materials like plaster or drywall, wood planks or panels,
fiber cement panels, masonry or concrete.
• Plaster and drywall are the two most common types of
interior walls.
 Ceilings
 Ceilings are made from the same basic types of material as
walls.
 Textured ceilings are quick to apply to a drywall backing
and are relatively inexpensive.
 Dropped or suspended ceilings consist of t-bars, a
framework of steel or metal channels suspended by wires,
into which pre-cut acoustic tiles are placed.

o Counters and Cabinets
 Counters
• Counters come in a number of materials like particleboard or
plywood and have a variety of materials like wood, slate,
granite, marble, stainless steel, and tile covering them.
 Cabinets
• Cabinets provide storage in rooms like the kitchen and
bathrooms.
o Attics
 The attic is the area of the home bounded by the underside
of the roof and the upper side of the ceiling of the top floor.
 A hatchway built into the ceiling at an upstairs hallway or
closet usually accesses the attic.
 Some have a ladder or a folding drop stair to provide access.

o Mechanical Systems and Equipment
 Heating and Cooling Systems
• The forced air system is the most common type of home
heating (and cooling) system.
• The radiant heating system works through the process of
radiation or direct transfer of heat from a hot to a cold surface.
• The hydronic system (hot water) is similar to a radiant heat
system. This system uses a combination of radiation and
convection.
• The steam radiant heating system is a variation of the hydronic
system. Boilers heat water to steam, which is distributed via
steam piping and radiator units.
• Some homes may be heated (and cooled) by using Geothermal
Heat Pump (GHP). Heat pumps work like a refrigerator that can
run in reverse.

o Mechanical Systems and Equipment
 Plumbing Systems
• The aseptic system is the clean water system and is also known
as potable water.
• The septic system is the wastewater system.
• Plumbing fixtures generally refers to parts of a plumbing
system that have a distinct use and application.
 Electrical System
• Most homes get their electrical power from a utility company
that is delivered to the main electrical panel of the house by
overhead or subterranean transmission lines.
• Solar panels gather the sun’s heat for use in a solar water
heater, solar heating system and even as a source of electricity
in the residence.
• Although it is common for people in sunny areas to install
solar panels, small wind turbines for residential use are a
relatively new technology.

o Car Storage
 Once the appraiser has examined the exterior and interior
of the home, he or she should also make note of any
space designed for car storage.
• The appraiser should note whether the garage is attached
to or detached from the home, its size, and the number of
cars it accommodates.
• Carports have no walls or doors with which to control
access.
• Most homes with a garage have a driveway; but sometimes,
older homes have no garage and no carport.
• If a home does not have a garage, carport, or driveway,
appraiser must note this on the report.

 Inspecting Site Improvements
• Contributory value
o Contribution a particular component has to the value of the whole
property
• Fences
o Fences add to the security of a property and can add to its value.
• Patios
o Patios are surfaced exterior areas used for outdoor enjoyment of the
home.
• Swimming Pools
o Swimming pools ay be above ground or level with the backyard.
• Spas
o A spa or hot tub is a small pool filled with circulating hot water for
therapeutic soaking.
• Saunas
o A sauna is a Scandinavian invention consisting of a small, wood lined
room or house with the provision to be heated to 150°F or more.

Re appr unit 8

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