How Long Does It Take to Get a Home Appraisal?

Reviewed by: Brandon Brown

When you’re selling your home, you may ask, “How long does it take for a house appraisal?” Knowing this helps you plan your move and avoid unexpected delays that could derail your timeline. A typical home appraisal takes one to two weeks from start to finish, though several factors can speed up or slow down this process, depending on your property and local market conditions. This guide answers the question, “How long does it take to get a home appraisal?” from the moment your buyer’s lender orders the appraisal to when the final report determines your home’s value. You’ll learn what appraisers look for during their inspection and what happens if the appraisal comes in lower than your sale price.

What Is a Home Appraisal and When Is It Ordered?

A home appraisal is a professional estimate of your property’s market value, where a licensed expert visits your house, evaluates its condition and features, and then determines what it’s worth in today’s market. In real estate, the home appraisal process determines the fair market value of a home, which ensures the buyer is paying a fair price for the property. Your mortgage lender requires this appraisal to ensure the house is worth the loan amount you’re requesting, typically ordering it within a few days after you accept a buyer’s offer. Since many homeowners confuse appraisals with inspections, understanding the differences is essential for preparing your home for sale. While an inspection focuses on identifying repairs, the appraisal determines whether your home justifies the buyer’s loan amount.

Home Appraisal: Determines market value for your lender’s approval
Home Inspection: Identifies repair needs and safety issues for the buyer’s knowledge

The buyer typically pays the appraisal fee as part of their closing costs, which keeps the process independent since the appraiser works for neither you nor the buyer.

How Long Does a Home Appraisal Take?

The complete home appraisal process takes one to two weeks from start to finish, including scheduling the visit, conducting the inspection, and delivering the final report to your lender. The process breaks down into three distinct phases, each with its own timeline; however, the actual visit to your house is surprisingly brief compared to the research and paperwork that follow. Since early 2020, Fannie Mae estimates that the use of appraisal alternatives, such as Value Acceptance and Value Acceptance + Property Data on loans Fannie Mae has acquired saved mortgage borrowers more than $2.5 billion. But how long does it take to get a house appraised? Here’s the general timeline:

Phase	Duration	What Happens
Scheduling	2 to 7 days	Lender orders appraisal; appraiser contacts you to arrange visit
On-Site Visit	30 minutes to 2 hours	Appraiser inspects interior, exterior, and property features
Report Generation	2 to 7 days	Appraiser researches comparable sales and compiles the final report

For homeowners in a competitive market like Orange County, this standard appraisal timeline can introduce significant uncertainty when a quick sale is needed. Timelines can vary based on demand, property complexity, and local market conditions. In some cases, issues such as unclear property boundaries or structural intrusions may slow down the process, especially if the appraiser identifies any aspects related to the encroachment definition in real estate.

Step 1. Scheduling the Appraisal

Your lender orders the appraisal from a licensed appraiser or appraisal management company, after which the assigned appraiser contacts you directly to schedule the property visit. This scheduling phase typically takes two to seven business days, with the exact timing depending on how busy local appraisers are and their current workload.

Step 2. The On-Site Visit

The appraiser’s visit is what most people think of as “the appraisal,” during which they walk through your house, measuring rooms, taking photos, and noting the condition of various features. This physical inspection typically lasts between thirty minutes and two hours, depending on the size and complexity of your property.

Step 3. Report and Turnaround

After visiting your house, the appraiser returns to their office to complete the most time-consuming part of the process by researching recent sales of similar homes in your neighborhood, called “comparables” or “comps.” They then analyze this market data alongside their notes from your property visit, compiling everything into a detailed appraisal report that gets sent directly to your lender within two to seven business days.

What Appraisers Look For and How to Prepare

Appraisers focus on measurable aspects of your property that affect its market value, comparing your house to similar homes that have sold recently in your area to determine your home’s appraisal value. While you can’t change your home’s location or square footage, simple preparation helps the appraiser see your property’s best features and ensures the process goes smoothly. Consider these preparation steps from this home appraisal preparation checklist before the appraiser arrives:

Clean and organize: A tidy house is easier to inspect and photograph
Complete minor repairs: Fix leaky faucets, broken fixtures, or chipped paint
Document upgrades: List recent improvements like new appliances or flooring
Ensure access: Make sure all areas are accessible, including basements and attics

If you’ve added a home gym with affordable exercise equipment, ensure the space is clean and accessible for the appraiser’s evaluation.

Factors That Can Delay a Home Appraisal

Several factors can extend how long it takes to get a house appraised beyond the typical timeline, with these delays often occurring during busy real estate seasons or with complex properties. Market conditions play a significant role in appraisal timing, as appraisers become backlogged with requests when many homes are being bought and sold simultaneously. High demand for appraisal services in some market areas may prompt VA to consider increasing appraisal fees and authorizing extended timeliness requirements temporarily as a reaction to market demand. Common factors that slow down the appraisal process include:

High demand periods: Busy real estate markets create appraiser shortages
Property complexity: Large or unique homes require more evaluation time
Missing information: Incomplete records or permits can cause research delays
Limited comparables: Rural or luxury properties have fewer similar sales to analyze

How Long Does a House Valuation Take Without a Lender?

When you order an appraisal for personal reasons rather than a mortgage, the process moves much faster, with private appraisals typically taking three to five days from start to finish. This speed comes from eliminating lender requirements and administrative steps, allowing you to hire the appraiser directly and receive the report straight from them.

What Happens After the Appraisal Is Completed

Once finished, the appraiser submits their final report to whoever ordered it, usually your buyer’s lender, with this appraisal report containing the official opinion of your home’s market value. If the appraised value meets or exceeds the agreed sale price, your transaction typically proceeds as planned, but if your appraisal comes in lower than the offer, you and the buyer need to negotiate next steps or risk the deal falling through. You can often use the lower appraised value to negotiate a reduction in the sales price. This is a common issue that becomes clearer when you understand what under contract means in real estate, since appraisals are one of the main reasons pending sales fall through.

How Cash Buyers Eliminate the Appraisal Process

Selling to a cash buyer, such as FlipSplit, allows you to skip the traditional appraisal process entirely, as no mortgage lender is involved. This eliminates the requirement for a formal third-party appraisal with an all-cash offer. Cash buyers conduct their own internal property evaluation based on current market data and your home’s condition, which removes appraisal delays and the risk of deals falling through due to low valuations.

Timing Your Home Sale Smartly

Traditional appraisals can add weeks to your selling timeline while creating uncertainty about whether your deal will close, with this waiting period becoming especially stressful when you’re coordinating your next move. FlipSplit offers homeowners in LA County and throughout Southern California a faster alternative through cash offers that eliminate appraisal delays, letting you close in as little as 72 hours or as long as 90 days, based on your timeline needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a house appraisal last?

An appraisal report stays valid for three to four months for mortgage purposes, as the relationship between appraised value and market value can change over time. According to the Federal National Mortgage Association, commonly known as Fannie Mae, most appraisals are good for 90 days. After this period, lenders typically require an updated appraisal or a completely new evaluation.

Who schedules the appraisal?

The buyer’s mortgage lender orders the appraisal, then the assigned appraiser contacts you directly to schedule the property visit. You don’t need to coordinate with the buyer.

How long does it take after a home inspection for the appraisal to be completed?

Home inspections and appraisals are separate processes that often happen around the same time. Neither depends on the other, so they can occur in any order within the first weeks after accepting an offer.

How long does an appraiser stay at your house?

The appraiser’s physical visit typically lasts thirty minutes to two hours. Larger or more complex properties require longer inspection times.

Reviewed by: Brandon Brown

As a long-time Asset Manager, Investor, Real Estate Agent, and Broker/Owner of BayBrook Realty in Orange County, Brandon Brown is one of FlipSplit’s lead Real Estate experts. Having worked on over 2,000+ real estate transactions, Brandon brings a depth of knowledge that ensures clients are appropriately treated with honesty and integrity. His insights and advice have been published in numerous blogs beyond FlipSplit, and he keeps a close eye on market trends and statistics, which are updated weekly on his social media pages. Outside work, you can find him participating and serving at church, cycling, mountain biking, surfing around Orange County and beyond, and enjoying time with his wife and two daughters.