Appraisals are built on closed comparable sales; an asking price is whatever number the seller chooses to print. Those are two different things, and separating them answers your question. A seller can list at any figure regardless of what a similar unit recently sold for or what condition it was in. An asking price that matches a more updated home that already closed tells you nothing about whether an appraisal will support it. The appraiser works from what actually closed. Within the appraisal, the heavy weighting goes to the objective, hard-to-change characteristics: square footage, bedroom and bathroom count, and location. Finish level matters less than buyers expect. Granite versus tile generally does not move appraised value much, and condos are more standardized than houses, so cosmetic gaps matter even less there. A comprehensive remodel, the kitchen and every bathroom redone, might justify a modest bump. A nicer surface here and there usually will not. So the updated unit that sold a couple of months ago does not mean your target is overpriced or headed for a short appraisal. Look at what comparable units actually closed at, adjusted for size and location, and let those numbers set your view of value rather than the finishes in the photos.