diff --git a/superset/commands/importers/v1/__init__.py b/superset/commands/importers/v1/__init__.py
index 89891f48e597a..c620ec9f2ac85 100644
--- a/superset/commands/importers/v1/__init__.py
+++ b/superset/commands/importers/v1/__init__.py
@@ -24,9 +24,11 @@
 from superset.commands.base import BaseCommand
 from superset.commands.exceptions import CommandException, CommandInvalidError
 from superset.commands.importers.v1.utils import (
+    load_configs,
     load_metadata,
     load_yaml,
     METADATA_FILE_NAME,
+    validate_metadata_type,
 )
 from superset.dao.base import BaseDAO
 from superset.models.core import Database
@@ -78,9 +80,13 @@ def validate(self) -> None:
         except ValidationError as exc:
             exceptions.append(exc)
             metadata = None
+        if self.dao.model_cls:
+            validate_metadata_type(metadata, self.dao.model_cls.__name__, exceptions)
 
-        self._validate_metadata_type(metadata, exceptions)
-        self._load__configs(exceptions)
+        # load the configs and make sure we have confirmation to overwrite existing models
+        self._configs = load_configs(
+            self.contents, self.schemas, self.passwords, exceptions
+        )
         self._prevent_overwrite_existing_model(exceptions)
 
         if exceptions:
@@ -88,49 +94,6 @@ def validate(self) -> None:
             exception.add_list(exceptions)
             raise exception
 
-    def _validate_metadata_type(
-        self, metadata: Optional[Dict[str, str]], exceptions: List[ValidationError]
-    ) -> None:
-        """Validate that the type declared in METADATA_FILE_NAME is correct"""
-        if metadata and "type" in metadata:
-            type_validator = validate.Equal(self.dao.model_cls.__name__)  # type: ignore
-            try:
-                type_validator(metadata["type"])
-            except ValidationError as exc:
-                exc.messages = {METADATA_FILE_NAME: {"type": exc.messages}}
-                exceptions.append(exc)
-
-    def _load__configs(self, exceptions: List[ValidationError]) -> None:
-        # load existing databases so we can apply the password validation
-        db_passwords: Dict[str, str] = {
-            str(uuid): password
-            for uuid, password in db.session.query(
-                Database.uuid, Database.password
-            ).all()
-        }
-        for file_name, content in self.contents.items():
-            # skip directories
-            if not content:
-                continue
-
-            prefix = file_name.split("/")[0]
-            schema = self.schemas.get(f"{prefix}/")
-            if schema:
-                try:
-                    config = load_yaml(file_name, content)
-
-                    # populate passwords from the request or from existing DBs
-                    if file_name in self.passwords:
-                        config["password"] = self.passwords[file_name]
-                    elif prefix == "databases" and config["uuid"] in db_passwords:
-                        config["password"] = db_passwords[config["uuid"]]
-
-                    schema.load(config)
-                    self._configs[file_name] = config
-                except ValidationError as exc:
-                    exc.messages = {file_name: exc.messages}
-                    exceptions.append(exc)
-
     def _prevent_overwrite_existing_model(  # pylint: disable=invalid-name
         self, exceptions: List[ValidationError]
     ) -> None:
diff --git a/superset/commands/importers/v1/utils.py b/superset/commands/importers/v1/utils.py
index 15bec8278ca75..de86e3f3cc6ab 100644
--- a/superset/commands/importers/v1/utils.py
+++ b/superset/commands/importers/v1/utils.py
@@ -15,14 +15,16 @@
 
 import logging
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Any, Dict
+from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional
 from zipfile import ZipFile
 
 import yaml
 from marshmallow import fields, Schema, validate
 from marshmallow.exceptions import ValidationError
 
+from superset import db
 from superset.commands.importers.exceptions import IncorrectVersionError
+from superset.models.core import Database
 
 METADATA_FILE_NAME = "metadata.yaml"
 IMPORT_VERSION = "1.0.0"
@@ -76,6 +78,58 @@ def load_metadata(contents: Dict[str, str]) -> Dict[str, str]:
     return metadata
 
 
+def validate_metadata_type(
+    metadata: Optional[Dict[str, str]], type_: str, exceptions: List[ValidationError],
+) -> None:
+    """Validate that the type declared in METADATA_FILE_NAME is correct"""
+    if metadata and "type" in metadata:
+        type_validator = validate.Equal(type_)
+        try:
+            type_validator(metadata["type"])
+        except ValidationError as exc:
+            exc.messages = {METADATA_FILE_NAME: {"type": exc.messages}}
+            exceptions.append(exc)
+
+
+def load_configs(
+    contents: Dict[str, str],
+    schemas: Dict[str, Schema],
+    passwords: Dict[str, str],
+    exceptions: List[ValidationError],
+) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    configs: Dict[str, Any] = {}
+
+    # load existing databases so we can apply the password validation
+    db_passwords: Dict[str, str] = {
+        str(uuid): password
+        for uuid, password in db.session.query(Database.uuid, Database.password).all()
+    }
+    for file_name, content in contents.items():
+        # skip directories
+        if not content:
+            continue
+
+        prefix = file_name.split("/")[0]
+        schema = schemas.get(f"{prefix}/")
+        if schema:
+            try:
+                config = load_yaml(file_name, content)
+
+                # populate passwords from the request or from existing DBs
+                if file_name in passwords:
+                    config["password"] = passwords[file_name]
+                elif prefix == "databases" and config["uuid"] in db_passwords:
+                    config["password"] = db_passwords[config["uuid"]]
+
+                schema.load(config)
+                configs[file_name] = config
+            except ValidationError as exc:
+                exc.messages = {file_name: exc.messages}
+                exceptions.append(exc)
+
+    return configs
+
+
 def is_valid_config(file_name: str) -> bool:
     path = Path(file_name)