Simple statement to show you the power of the market in Kansas City right now....
It is the BEST time to sell in KC since 2007!
If you have thought about jumping into the market and putting your house up for sale, I want to definitely encourage you, this is a great time to MOVE UP, get that dream kitchen that you have been waiting for or possibly DOWNSIZE to a property that makes more sense for your family, One item that our team has seen as a growing trend in the real estate industry is to get a PRE-INSPECTION on your home to show your buyers that you are serious about selling and have taken part of the "unknown" out of the equation for them.
American Home Shield recently did a study on how a "pre-inspection" can assist you in the sale of your home and the results were the same as what we have seen in the market...
Please see their findings here - HOME Warranties Lead To Faster Sales, Higher Prices
Pre-Inspections will help you:
- Get a higher resale value for your home - if you are pre-inspected and the buyer knows that you have taken care of the issues that came up during the inspection your house (and their OFFER) will likely be higher than what you would find without the pre-inspection. Think about the auto industry, do you think there is a good reason why there is a whole class of cars being resold in the auto industry as "Certified Pre-Owned Cars" - this inspection and service gives the buyer a comfort level on what will likely be the largest investment of their life that can make all of the difference when it comes down to choosing between the last two houses and where they are going to make an offer. According to American Home Shield in a recent study, homes that include on of their warranties sell for an average of $2,300.00 more than comparable homes.
- Sell your home FASTER than the competition - if you have not sold a home in a while, one of the big questions and areas that make people queasy in the stomach is the "inspection period". This time is when the buyer has an opportunity to inspect the home for X number of days and come back to the seller with any findings of "unacceptable conditions" than must be remedied before the contact is valid. Every home has things that are wrong with them and frankly I believe that home inspectors feel as if they need to find a few things to validate their cost. The inspection by a professional home inspection company on behalf of the buyer is a necessary item and something that we recommend with every home purchase. From a real world perspective, think of it this way, you are paying someone to be the expert to tell you ANY and ALL flaws they find in a home. A great service, we have many home inspectors we LOVE to work with & I have mentioned a few at the bottom of this article. What did American Home Shield find when they did their study about "Pre-inspections"? Homes with one of their pre-inspections spent an average of 11 days LESS on the market than their comparable competition. 11 Days may seem like a small amount to many, but think, this 11 days is actually 15,840 minutes you would get back in FREE TIME to think about your NEW HOME purchase, not selling your house.
Convinced yet to get a pre-inspection, well if so let me give you a couple resources to help you along this path in the Kansas City market.
For home inspections in Kansas City, a few of our most respected partners are:
HOME INSPECTION EXPERTS IN KANSAS CITY
- Golden Home Inspections - Call Dev Van Dyne and team to get straight shooters to you about what they finds possibly wrong in your home. Dev's 10+ years of engineering experience make him a tight eye to make sure systems (HVAC, Water Heater, Plumbing, Electrical) are operating correctly & are up-to-date. With great certified partners across KC to look at Radon, Mold, Termites and more you are in good hands. With every inspection they include a complimentary RECALL check on all appliances & free membership in the HOME OWNERS NETWORK to allow you to diagnose and deal with issues that occur in everyday average home ownership.
- Star Home Inspections - Larry Carter & team has been inspecting homes across KC for MANY years. His team provides a fully quality inspection from top to bottom and has even come up with a GUARANTEE for pre-inspections. If you get your home pre-inspected by Star and a true problem is revealed by the buyer during inspections (that Star did not catch / recommend fixed) they will pay for 1/ 2 of the cost to fix this issue.
- Five Star Home Inspections - Mike Blackman & team have a great reputation in Kansas City in "sniffing out" the problems for their clients before they become a BIG DEAL. As Mike himself will tell you, a home inspection is a visual evaluation of the major systems in the house including the foundation, siding, windows, doors, roof, attic, heating/cooling systems, plumbing, electrical, and the interior of the home. They evaluate all homes using the standards of practice of the American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI! PLEASE NOTE , I am ready to handle ANY transaction in Missouri or Kansas with my team, but I do not do work outside of KC (besides a bit of consultation / brokerage in the WINE industry), if you want to know more about certification for home inspectors, I would encourage you speak with The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI.
HOME WARRANTY OPTIONS IN KANSAS CITY
- A.B.May - Warranty Company that is based in Kansas City and offers a home warranty to cover a new home purchase with around a $75.00 service fee and under $50.00 for a year (please see website for actual prices). A.B. May has an absolutely great program going with Reece & Nichols (that I happen to be able to provide) called HOME WARRANTY PLUS that allows the seller, at no cost, to have a home warranty that can be sold with the home that covers the home from the date that it is listed with Reece & Nichols.
- Old Republic - National warranty company that has a great, 5 star reputation and offers a home warranty product for around $400/$500 with a $90.00 service fee (please see website for actual prices). For Old Republic - the standard home warranty is a one-year service contract that protects a resale home buyer or current homeowner against the cost of unexpected repairs or replacement of major systems and appliances that break down due to normal usage. Does this possibly sound like another program we all must do, INSURANCE... there definitely are similarities.
- American Home Shield - One of the countries largest warranty companies with a strong reputation and sister companies that include Merry Maids, ServiceMaster & more (please see website for actual prices).
One good tip & a shout out to some of our favorite partners in the inspection business, if you are ready to list your home for sale in Kansas City or are considering buying, keep these companies in mind and understand that everything that you can do to MITIGATE RISK for the buyer will help you in the long run!
If you are looking to sell and list your home or to put an offer in on a new home, now is the time and the Bubb Cribb Team would love to help you!
The Bubb Cribb Team at Reece & Nichols would love to be your neighborhood experts in buying or selling your home in any part of Kansas City. We have great area specialists in Union Hill, Hyde Park, Brookside, Sunset Hills, Waldo, Mission Hills, Prairie Village, Overland Park, Fairway, Leawood, Kansas City North, Lees' Summit and more; please contact Christopher Cribb, Megan Bubb Cribb or Eric Bubb for assistance!
