Unusual Home Appraisals – Geodesic Dome House

This was obviously an unusual property appraisal given the geodesic dome design.

The dome house was built in 1989 on a 0.22 acre lot. It contains 819 square feet of finished living area with one bedroom and two full baths. The central area has a 26 foot ceiling. There are ten skylights providing much natural light.

The original owner had specific construction requirements because they wanted a home that minimized indoor allergins and building materials free of potential toxins. For example, they excluded certain treated woods in the framing, and the heat pump system included special filtration components.

The house presents several challenges to the appraisers

1. Unique Design: It is highly unlikely that homes of similar design will be found in the immediate market area. Most likely the appraiser will need to analyze nearby sales of homes with a traditional design, such as ranchers. When appraising a house of uncommon design, the appraiser will also have to demonstrate some degree of market acceptance of the unique design.
   
2. Size of Living Area: When a house is significantly smaller than other houses in the market area, the appraiser will again need to address market acceptance of such a small house, and confront the problem of no comparable sales of similar size.
   
3. Functional Utility: In most markets, a residence with only one bedroom is not the norm. The market is much smaller for such a house. For example, it’s not going to attract a buyer with children. So the appraiser will have to address the impact on value of a significantly limited market of potential buyers.

When appraising a dome house, specialized knowledge and prior experience are an asset.

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