Home Valuation — The Real Math
Short answer: Your cash offer from Saving KC comes down to a simple formula: what your home would sell for fully repaired, minus the cost of those repairs, minus our margin. We pull real comps, estimate repairs during our walkthrough, and show you the math.
No mystery. No black box. Here are the 5 factors that drive your home's value and the exact formula we use to calculate a cash offer. Real numbers from real KC deals.
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Every home is different, but the same 5 factors drive value across the KC metro. Here's what we look at — and what you should understand before you talk to anyone about selling.
Two identical houses on the same street can have offers $50,000 apart based on condition. A home with a good roof, working HVAC, and solid foundation will always get a stronger offer than one that needs all three replaced. That's $30K-$50K in repair costs that come off the top.
Here's the formula. No mystery.
ARV − Repair Costs − Our Margin = Your Cash Offer
Our margin covers holding costs (taxes, insurance, utilities while we renovate), selling costs when we resell, and our profit. It typically runs 15-20% of ARV. Here's what that looks like with real numbers.
| Line Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| ARV (based on 4 recent comps within 0.5 mi) | $200,000 |
| Estimated Repairs (roof, HVAC, cosmetic) | − $30,000 |
| Our Margin (holding, selling, profit) | − $30,000 |
| Your Cash Offer | $140,000 |
On the MLS, that same home might list at $165,000-$175,000 after you spend $15,000 on repairs to make it "show-ready." Then you'd pay 5-6% in agent commissions ($10,000), 1-3% in closing costs ($3,500), and carry the home for 3-4 months ($4,000+ in mortgage, taxes, insurance).
The gap between a cash offer and an MLS net is smaller than most people think — and the cash path gets you paid in 14 days with zero risk of the deal falling through. Get your free offer and see the numbers for your home.
Here are the big-ticket items that affect offers the most. These are KC-specific ranges based on what we see across Jackson, Johnson, Clay, Platte, and Wyandotte counties.
| Repair Item | Typical KC Cost |
|---|---|
| Roof Replacement | $8,000 – $15,000 |
| HVAC System | $5,000 – $10,000 |
| Foundation Repair | $10,000 – $30,000+ |
| Full Cosmetic Update (paint, carpet, fixtures) | $10,000 – $25,000 |
| Plumbing (repipe or sewer line) | $5,000 – $15,000 |
| Electrical Panel + Rewire | $4,000 – $12,000 |
| Kitchen Remodel | $12,000 – $30,000 |
| Bathroom Remodel (per bath) | $5,000 – $15,000 |
A home that needs a roof AND an HVAC system AND foundation work can easily hit $40,000-$55,000 in repairs. On the MLS, buyers either low-ball or walk away. With a cash offer, we take on all that risk. You don't spend a dime.
ARV stands for After Repair Value — what your home would sell for fully repaired. It's the starting point for every cash offer. We determine ARV by looking at recent comparable sales within 0.5 miles of your property.
ARV minus estimated repair costs minus our margin equals your offer. For example: $200K ARV − $30K repairs − $30K margin = $140K offer. We're transparent about every number.
Roof ($8K-$15K), HVAC ($5K-$10K), foundation ($10K-$30K+), and full cosmetic updates ($10K-$25K) have the biggest impact. We estimate these during our walkthrough — you don't pay for any of it.
We pull recent sales of similar homes within 0.5 miles from MLS and county records. Size, age, condition, and sale date all factor in. Comps from the last 3-6 months carry the most weight.
No. Liens and back taxes get paid from sale proceeds at closing. The title company handles it. You walk away with whatever's left after all debts on the title are cleared.
The offer is below full retail, but the gap is smaller than most think. Subtract commissions (5-6%), closing costs (1-3%), repair bills, and months of carrying costs from an MLS sale, and the net is often close to a cash offer — with zero risk and hassle.
"Ernest walked me through exactly how he came up with the offer. ARV, repairs, everything. First time anyone was transparent about the math."
"The house needed a new roof and foundation work. Nobody on the MLS wanted to touch it. Ernest gave me a fair offer and closed in two weeks."
"I compared the cash offer to what I'd net on the MLS after commissions and repairs. The cash number was actually better — and I got paid in 14 days."
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Get a no-obligation cash offer in 24 hours. We'll show you the ARV, the repairs, and the math. No mystery.