Should I Have a Trust Set Up Before Getting an Appraisal?

(How Appraisals and Trusts Work Together in Estate Planning)

If you’re thinking ahead about your legacy—or helping a parent or grandparent prepare their affairs—you may be wondering:

“Should I have a trust already set up before getting a home appraisal?”

It’s a smart question. But here’s the good news:

✅ No, you do not need to have a trust in place before getting a home appraisal.
In fact, many people get an appraisal first as part of the process of creating or updating their estate plan.

Here’s how it works—and why both tools are valuable for protecting your assets and your family.

🧾 What’s the Purpose of an Appraisal in Estate Planning?

A real estate appraisal provides an objective, current market value of your home. This valuation serves several purposes in an estate or trust scenario:

• Helps attorneys and financial advisors determine how to structure your estate

• Ensures your assets are fairly divided among heirs

• Supports gift or inheritance tax planning

• Establishes a baseline for future capital gains calculations

• Provides documentation if the home will later be placed into a trust

If you own property in West Michigan—especially in dynamic markets like Grand Rapids, Ada, Rockford, or Kentwood—an accurate appraisal ensures your estate plan reflects realistic, local market values.

📜 What Does a Trust Do?

A trust is a legal entity that holds your assets (like real estate) on behalf of beneficiaries. Unlike a will, a properly structured trust:

• Avoids probate, which saves time and legal costs

• Keeps your estate matters private

• Allows for control and customization over how and when assets are distributed

• May offer tax advantages

But a trust is only as effective as the assets placed in it—and that’s where the appraisal comes in.

🔁 How Appraisals and Trusts Work Together

Think of it this way:

• The appraisal tells you what the home is worth

• The trust tells everyone what to do with it

Many estate attorneys in West Michigan recommend getting a home appraisal before or during the trust creation process so they can:

• Accurately value the home for asset allocation

• Decide if the home should be transferred into the trust

• Structure buyouts or inheritance splits fairly among heirs

• Document value for IRS or state tax purposes

📆 When Should I Get the Appraisal?

You can get an appraisal:

• Before setting up a trust (to guide decision-making)

• As part of the trust setup (to support equitable planning)

• After the trust is created (to update valuations)

There’s no legal requirement to do it in a specific order—but the earlier you know your home’s true value, the better your estate plan will be.

⚖️ What If I Already Have a Trust?

If you already have a trust but never had your home appraised—or your last appraisal was years ago—it may be time for an update.

Property values in Kent County and surrounding areas have changed significantly in recent years. An outdated value could:

• Mislead your heirs about what they’ll inherit

• Create imbalanced distributions among beneficiaries

• Lead to disputes or confusion when the time comes

💡 Pro Tip: Many families request a new appraisal every 3–5 years as part of regular estate plan reviews.

✅ Final Thoughts

So, should you have a trust before getting an appraisal?
Not necessarily.
In fact, an appraisal is often the first step in building a solid, informed estate plan.

Whether you're preparing your own trust, managing a parent’s estate, or simply planning ahead, a local, professional appraisal gives you:

• Financial clarity

• Legal protection

• Peace of mind

And in West Michigan, where property values vary greatly from Grand Rapids to the lakeshore, accuracy matters.