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Tips for Selling Your Home

Clean Everything

  1. Remove clutter and clear off counters. Throw out stacks of newspapers and magazines and stow away most of your small decorative items. 
  2. Put excess furniture in storage, and remove out-of-season clothing items that are cramping closet space. (We want your home to look large and spacious).
  3. Don’t forget to clean out the garage, too.
  4. Wash your windows and screens. (We want to get more light into the interior of the home to help make the home bright and cheery).
  5. Keep everything extra clean. A clean house will make a strong first impression and send a message to buyers that the home has been well cared for. Wash fingerprints from light switch plates, mop, and wax floors, and clean the stove and refrigerator. Polish your doorknobs and address numbers. It may be worth hiring a cleaning service if you can afford it.
  6. Get rid of smells. Clean carpeting and drapes to eliminate cooking, smoke and pet odors. Open the windows to air out the house. Potpourri or scented candles will help.
  7. Brighten your rooms. Put higher wattage bulbs in light fixtures to brighten up rooms and basements. Replace any burned-out bulbs in closets.
  8. Clean the walls, or better yet, brush on a fresh coat of neutral color paint.

Address Neglected Items

  1. Don’t disregard minor repairs. Small problems such as sticky doors, torn screens, cracked caulking, or a dripping faucet may seem trivial, but they’ll give buyers the impression that the house isn’t well maintained.
  2. Tidy your yard. Cut the grass, rake the leaves, add new mulch, trim the bushes, edge the walkways, and clean the gutters. For added curb appeal, place a pot of bright flowers near the entryway.
  3. Patch holes. Repair any holes in your driveway and reapply sealant, if applicable.
  4. Replace heavy curtains with sheer ones that let in more light. Show off the view if you have one.

Protect your Valuables

  1. Lock up valuables, jewelry, and money. While a real estate salesperson will be on site during the showing or open house, it’s impossible to watch everyone all the time.

Set the Scene

  1. Add a touch of color in the living room. A colored afghan or throw on the couch will jazz up a dull room. Buy new accent pillows for the sofa.
  2. Buy a flowering plant and put it near a window you pass by frequently.
  3. Make centerpieces for your tables. Use brightly colored fruit or flowers.
  4. Set the table with fancy dishes and candles, and create other vignettes throughout the home to help buyers picture living there. For example, in the basement, you might display a chess game in progress.
  5. Accentuate the fireplace. Lay fresh logs in the fireplace or put a basket of flowers there if it’s not in use.
  6. Make the bathrooms feel luxurious. Put away those old towels and toothbrushes. When buyers enter your bathroom, they should feel pampered. Add a new shower curtain, new towels, and fancy guest soaps. Make sure your personal toiletry items are out of sight.
  7. Send your pets to a neighbor or take them outside. If that’s not possible, crate them or confine them to one room (ideally in the basement), and let the real estate agent know where they’ll be to eliminate surprises.
  8. Leave the home. It’s usually best if the sellers are not at home. It’s awkward for prospective buyers to look in your closets and express their opinions of your home with you there.
 
 

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What my clients are saying  

What a great experience. From pre sale activities like preparing the home, pricing, pictures to the final walkthrough, Chuck was a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. Every step went really well!

 

~ Carl & Leanne

"We were extremely fortunate to have Chuck Townsend represent our interests on the sale of our Auburn home and also our rental condo. Both had unique challenges that would have baffled any agent with less experience and determination. Chuck always kept us updated on every aspect of the transaction and was always available to answer questions. His expertise in every facet of the real estate market consistently exceeded our expectations! We absolutely recommend Chuck to anyone seeking the very best in real estate representation!

 

~ Jim & Jane

"Chuck was amazing to work with in our recent transaction and closing! He is diligent and a professional! I have respect for his work ethics and hope to work together again soon! Thank you for the great experience and smooth transaction, Chuck! You are truly one of a kind and God Bless! "

 

~ Lori

"Chuck became more than a Realtor. I knew from the very first meeting, he was a friend and truly had my best interest at heart. He worked tirelessly for me in an impossible situation for the very best outcome. Honestly, through even a disappointment, he was faithful and steadfast, always encouraging and kind. I could not ask for anything more from any person. I am eternally grateful for him walking me through things I knew nothing about with generosity and tenderness and patience. Thank you so very much, Chuck for all your kindness and generosity. He is such a man of integrity, completely trustworthy.

 

~ Barb

"Chuck impressed me with his professionalism As well as rapid follow up. I would highly recommend him. He also is a great negotiator and tried to get us the most out of the property. A man of integrity" Mike

 

~ Mike

We are recommending you to everyone we know in the Auburn/Placer area as the realtor of choice for a fabulous, fast and trouble-free experience! Thanks again for all the extra things you took care of for us, all the times you stopped by to check up on various tasks and delivered all the vast amounts of paperwork! Jim & Jane

 

~ Jim & Jane

Chuck was great to work with. We were looking to move up from San Jose and wanted to find a house in the Auburn area. Chuck lined up a number of homes that met our criteria for us to look at when we came up for our two days of "house hunting" and worked with us long-distance to negotiate and close out the sale of a great house. This included arranging for contractors to bid on and start work on some changes necessary. I would highly recommend Chuck to anyone looking to buy a house in the area.

 

~ Cindy & Mitch

Never gave up, and checked each prospect to make sure they were serious buyers. He knew what he was taking about, knew what was needed and what would help sell and what would not. Friendly and frank. A pleasure to work with.

 

~ Will & Sue

"Chuck Townsend has done a wonderful job selling our property. He faced many obstacles on the way but came through beautifully. I would highly recommend Chuck as a realtor. Chuck’s wife Elise is also an asset. She staged the property and everything looked great. I was more than pleased with Chuck as our realtor!" Nancy Flint

 

~ Nancy

We are very grateful to Chuck Townsend for helping us find a beautiful peice of property in Foresthill. Chuck provided excellent advice on how to evaluate the cost/value of raw land based on how much site work would be required (water, electricity, sewer/septic, etc) and referred us to a contractor to get a preliminary estimate on construction costs. We learned a lot in the process, and were able to make an informed decision. Thank You Chuck!

 

~ Peter & Pam

Chuck is a professional who knows the ins and outs of the real estate business. He knew exactly what we needed to do as a family in order to get us into our dream home. We are very happy with the service that he provided. He will get the job done for you! We highly recommend Chuck Townsend for all of your real estate needs.

 

~ Scott & Jennifer

"I wish to recommend Chuck Townsend of Intero Real Estate Services! I have worked with him and his clients for 3 years and find him to be a honest and hard working real estate agent. He is a wonderful man, and takes good care of his listings and purchase clients and has been a great agent to work with over the years. I rate Chuck Townsend with 10/10 stars!!" Donna Delno"

 

~ Donna

“I must admit that I was blown away with the amount of work that Chuck has done to help us with this transaction. The property was originally offered at a price above market. Chuck did an amazing job of analyzing all of the comps in the area and preparing multiple documents that convinced the seller to move forward with our offer. He helped us resolve the hand full of offers / counter offer issues related to rent back arrangements and other details. He has also taken a huge amount of his time to coordinate all of the follow up activities (inspections, appraisal, etc.) so that the escrow can close without any hitches. If you do not already have an agreement with another Realtor, it would be worth your time to give Chuck a call to see if he can help you.” Thom & Suzanne Kay San Jose, CA

 

~ Thom & Sue

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