Ways to maximize my upcoming appraisal?

Get it clean, touch up any blemishes.

Some appraisers have been known on refi appraisals to ask where you need to be at. Some don't. Maybe you can slip it in real slick like that you need to be at like X dollars for this thing to be worth it. It will be a decision you make upon meeting the appraiser. Some can get really pissed at this, some won't.

Put a bed in every room...don't you dare let the appraiser decide what a "bedroom" is.

I just had one done, as my house appraised for the same value as it did 2 yrs ago (gross value was higher, but depreciation was also higher), even though we added hardwood floors in the LR (took up carpet) and Built a 16x22 extension in our patio and pergola over the top. The way he calculated the value, a patio was worth X no matter how big or how small, and he just took accounted for bedrooms & bathrooms, not any upgrades. I was pretty upset, but such is life.

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unless you have something like a pool that might add value.

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A pool adds absolutely no value whatsoever. It might even actually detract value from the house because with a pool you automatically decrease a certain set of buyers in the market as people are either yes or no to a pool. This will in turn increase the marketing time of the home which COULD affect the value. Depends on the comps, appraiser's opinion etc etc.