Property records and appraisal preparation

You can call before you gather records

Start with the complete property address, the reason you need a value and any deadline. Share any request or instructions you have received. If the date or report users are still unclear, say so. Use the sections below for the information you have.

Bring the request or instructions you received

If someone asked you for a valuation, share their request or instructions. These details help define the assignment. You can discuss what is still unknown.

• Who needs to read and rely on the report? Identify yourself, your attorney, your accountant or any institution that needs to use it.
• What decision or document it supports.
• The date the value needs to reflect, if known, and any reason given for that date.
• Whether the requesting party has any format or content requirements of their own.
• Whether more than one person needs to be named as an intended user.

Questions to ask when you call

• Is this assignment the right fit for what I have been asked to produce?
• What effective date will the report use, and does it match what was requested of me?
• Who will be named as the client and intended user?
• What scope of work does this situation actually require?
• What do you need from me, and what will slow things down if it is missing?
• What is your current availability relative to my deadline?

Call 425-620-2518 to discuss these questions. The contact page has short preparation notes per service.

Photographs and renovation information, if available

Photographs and renovation records are especially useful when the effective date is in the past, because the condition of the home then has to be established from evidence rather than from today's walkthrough.

• Photographs from around the effective date, including casual family phone photos.
• Prior listing photographs or a listing sheet if the home was ever marketed.
• Renovation list with approximate dates: roof, windows, siding, kitchen, baths, flooring.
• Mechanical replacements: furnace or heat pump, water heater, electrical panel, repipes.
• Permits for additions, finished basements, decks or accessory structures.
• Invoices or contractor summaries where you still have them.

Tell us what you know about access

Access can affect scheduling, especially for vacant or inherited homes. Tell us what is arranged and what remains uncertain.

• Who holds keys or codes, and whether they are local.
• Whether a tenant occupies the home and what notice is required.
• Access to the garage, crawlspace, attic hatch, electrical panel and heating equipment.
• Locked outbuildings, gates or shops that will need opening.
• Pets, alarm systems or anything else that affects an appointment.
• A second contact who can authorize access if you are unreachable.

Optional: find the parcel and property record

Use the complete address and parcel information together to identify the real estate clearly. Two official King County overview pages explain which tool does what.

These official resources support parcel identification and record lookup only. County assessment records are not an appraisal by this business, do not establish a current market value for your property, and do not answer boundary or title questions. Their contact details belong to the county, not to North Sound Valuation.

If you have the record, compare its details

If you have the county record, compare it with what you know about the house. Note any differences to discuss with the appraiser.

• Living area and room count: does the recorded figure match the house you walk through?
• Year built, and the year of any addition recorded separately.
• Bedroom and bathroom counts, including whether a basement room is counted.
• Garage type and size, plus any carport, shop or detached structure.
• Lot size and any unusual site condition such as slope, easement or shared access.
• Anything recorded that no longer exists, or exists but is not recorded.