Car appraisal is becoming increasingly necessary in today’s automobile industry. A car appraisal is a brief document that can be used to ascertain the current market value of a car. This value will usually depend on the training and experience of the appraiser and the ongoing market trends. Getting a good appraisal matters a lot to the value you get for your car and that is why it is important you get the best custom car appraisal Washington.
An appraiser is someone trained in current market trends of value disposition of cars and other automobiles and can come up with a well-written estimate of a car’s value. Car owners get appraisals for their car usually when they want to sell, insure or even buy a car, when an issue of property division comes up in a divorce case or when a disagreement ensues between a car owner and his insurance company after a car accident. Following the rise of e-commerce, online buying of cars has become popular and the best way online buyers can access the value of their car is to use an appraisal.
Cost of an Appraisal
A car appraisal basically, won’t get above $500. Most times, in the range of $150-$500. The cost of the appraisal will depend on how detailed you want it. If you need a more detailed appraisal that will follow a meticulous inspection and contains an image of the car and well-thought-out documentation, the cost will be at the top end of the margin, costing about $300-$500.
If the car is not physically inspected, you’ll get to pay less and this evaluation is better referred to as an assessment and not an appraisal. An assessment will usually not cost more than $150.
What Does an Appraisal Contain?
How do you know if your appraisal is good enough? What should be included in your custom car appraisal?
A custom car appraisal should contain the following:
- Date of the inspection
- Location of the inspection
- Detailed documentation of the
current state of the vehicle. - The methods used to ascertain
the value of the car - The aim of the appraisal
- A note on the qualification of
the appraiser. - Signature of the appraisal
- Any other certification to be
noted can be added.
Before getting an appraisal for your car, you should do some general maintenance or clean up on the car. Take it to a car wash for cleaning and thereafter, wax the vehicle. Replace the previous engine oil with a new one. Check if the windshield and the floodlights are in perfect working condition. You must make sure that the car is in a good condition. If not, fix anything that has to be fixed.
After you’ve done the above, and it’s time to get your car appraisal, you should make sure that the appraisal company is recognized and approved by the insurance industry and the appraiser who will conduct the car appraisal should be a professional.