Does your house stink??? Did you know that when buyers are house hunting, the smell of your home can make or break you getting an offer? I know it sounds crazy… but I see it happen all the time… there are 12 smells that really stand out to potential buyers….
Hi, I’m Amy Reynolds with Ace Real Estate – .. the 1st smell we hear pretty often is SMOKE… I’ve seen buyers walk in and turn around and walk back out because they could smell smoke first thing.
Smell 2 is… you guessed it… PET ODOR…. it doesn’t matter if the buyer has 4 dogs and 3 cats of their own… if they can smell yours, it’s still a turn off.
Smell 3 is … cat urine… yes, I just mentioned pet odors but cat urine gets it’s own listing. Cat urine can get into carpets, pads and even subflooring.. and it is really hard to get that smell out and those left over tickle spots can still trigger a reaction if the buyer is allergic.
Smell 4…. Cooking smells… just like if you’ve ever worked in an office and someone reheated their left over fish from the night before… or burned their popcorn… even deep frying foods will make cooking smells linger even longer.
Smell 5 is Stinky laundry…. while your house is on the market, do your best to keep laundry as caught up as possible…. you don’t want the laundry area smelling like an old gym bag…. especially if your laundry is close to the kitchen.
Number 6 is Kid Funk.. I know!!! You would think that would fall under stinky laundry… well… some can… but I’m talking about old French fries stuffed in couch cushions, diaper pails, not so perfect aim in the bathroom or even their stinky socks or clothes laying on their floor. I have 2 kids of my own, so I know how stinky they can get.
Number 7 is mothballs…. I know!! I thought those were a thing of the past… nope… the most common use is to keep the bugs away… but unfortunately it leaves a strong undersireable smell behind.
Number 8.. any guesses?? Incense! To some , incense smells relaxing and reminds them of getting a massage or going to yoga… but to others… incense reminds them of head shops and all things Reefer Madness…
number 9 is Sewer gas… Ewww – If you have an occasional rotten egg smell in the house, you may have decided you could live with it, but a buyer won’t – so get that checked out before the house goes on the market.. because mark my word, the day someone comes to view the house, that’ll be the day it decides to smell.
Number 10 is Bleach! When it comes to showing your home… yes, clean is good… but bleachy clean is bad. Too much bleach makes a buyer wonder if you are tryin to cover up something….
Number 11 is mold or mildew…. yuck.. these smells scream “potential water damage or leak” then their minds wonder to the dark places you don’t want them to go. So make sure if you have any moisture issues or active leaks that you get them checked out.
And last but not least??? Too much of a good thing…. What’s that mean?? Overpowering air fresheners , colognes or sprays can distract buyers or even give some a headache.. and that’s the last thing you want to happen when your house is showing, you want that buyer to be picturing themselves living there.
Ok… so now you’re asking me… Well Amy… What smells are ok??? Well guess what… buyers have favorite smells too!!
Buyers Love cinnamon…. especially in the fall and winter months b/c it’s “smells like home”… it’s associated with comfy of cozy….
Citrus is always a safe bet as well… Citrus smells can make your home seem a lot cleaner than it actually may be… because orange, lime and lemon are associated with clean.
Clean laundry smell is very popular.. that’s my daughter’s favorite wax melt type… she says nothing beats clean , snuggly laundry.
And finally…. that old cliché… fresh baked cookies! Yep! it made the list… something about the smell of hot chocolate chip cookies brings pure happiness to your buyer’s noses… and I’m not going to lie.. I’m pretty fond of that one myself.
I know this was a little long and I thank you for sticking around… I just want you to be armed with as much information possible when listing your house because I want it to sell quickly and for top dollar…. I’m always here to answer any questions you may have…
I’m Amy Reynolds with Ace Real Estate and we are the key to your dreams!
