A home appraisal is a professional, unbiased assessment of your property’s market value, completed by a certified expert. Whether you’re securing a mortgage, filing taxes, or navigating a legal or financial process, the appraisal provides a clear, grounded understanding of what your property is truly worth. It’s not just a number—it’s a trusted foundation for decisions that shape your financial future.

• Buying or selling a home

• Refinancing your mortgage

• Settling an estate or planning for taxes

• Navigating legal or financial challenges

Think of an appraisal as a personal, detailed look at your home—inside and out—done by a trained expert who knows how to find recent sales of similar homes nearby. This means the appraiser can really understand what makes your home special and come up with a value that’s spot on.

On the other hand, BC Assessment is more like a big-picture snapshot taken once a year on July 1st. It uses general formulas to estimate values for many homes at once, so it can’t really capture the unique things about your place or any changes you’ve made.

So, while BC Assessment gives you a helpful estimate, an appraisal is like a careful conversation about your home’s true worth

When an appraiser conducts an appraisal on your home, they have a fiduciary duty to their client—usually your lender—even if you’re the one paying for it. This means they must keep the appraisal report private and confidential, sharing it only with their client unless given permission otherwise. So, if you want a copy of your appraisal, the best first step is to ask your lender. This approach ensures privacy and fairness, protecting everyone involved in one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll make.