There are a lot of factors to consider when showing your home to home buyers. You have to put out the listing for the house, prep it for showings, and find an agent to connect you with buyers and market the home. But one thing that most sellers forget about is the smell of their house. Sure, you’ll remember to take out the trash and clean up a bit, but smells linger. Most sellers don’t even realize their house smells because they’ve lived in it for so long. They’re used to it. And this can be a major turn-off for home buyers.
Why smells are important when listing your home.
Why is this so important? When buyers look at houses, they’re trying to picture themselves living in it in the future. Strong underlying odors can make it hard for the buyer to imagine your house as their new home. That’s why it’s so important to make sure your home smells pleasant. You need to remove bad odors from the source—whether it be clothes, pets, appliances, or dust. You have to be thorough when making a sweeping smell-check of the house. Every nook and cranny needs to be checked.
Buyers usually have a sense of whether they want to buy it or not in the first couple of minutes—even before they’ve had a chance to see everything the house has to offer. It’s crucial that your home looks great and smells great too!
What’s good and bad?
Each home has a unique scent to it, so it won’t be smell-free. It would be weird and unnatural if it was. You need to decide then, “What smell do I want my house to have?” Obviously, you want to make it smell good. This doesn’t mean you can choose just anything though. You need to consider your buyer and the feel of the home. Some big no no’s of sellers are:
- Using bold and overwhelming fragrances
- Having multiple scents mixing together
- Smells that don’t match the home or setting
Following any of these can make the buyer suspicious of what you’re hiding or just sick and queasy. Instead, try using a single, light and natural scent throughout your house. Fragrances like citrus, pine & cedar, or vanilla are probably your best bet.
If possible, hire a pro.
We always recommend hiring professional cleaning before listing your home for sale. It’s quick and easy, and they’ll be able to use the best products for your home and appliances. Then all you have to do is plug in some Scentsys or light some candles. If you have pets, I would also inform the carpet cleaner so that they can apply some extra chemicals to get rid of stinky pet smells.
Not everyone can afford professional cleaners. But if you clean your home yourself, be sure to clean out everything: the vents, appliances, sheets, furniture, pet beds, carpet, etc. I would also suggest inviting a friend to make sure there isn’t any other remaining smells you may have missed. After all is said and done, your house will look and smell its best. It’ll finally be ready for buyers!