Culinary experts will tell you that you eat with your eyes and nose before the food ever hits your mouth. That is also true when it comes to buying a house. When a buyer walks in the door, their eyes scan the rooms for appealing features and their nose sniffs out the smells of the home, so don’t turn them off before they get two feet in the door.
You all know by now how to draw someone’s attention to the visual aspects of your home , but if you follow these 4 steps you will ensure their nose is just as happy!
Wash the Dog
I can’t emphasize this one enough! One of the two worst smells I have encountered while showing houses is pet odor. Many buyers can overlook a brightly painted wall or an old refrigerator, but with pet odor, they don’t know if that smell is going to come out of the carpets if they purchase the home. If you’re entering the Project Sell My House movement, then wash the dog and now that it’s warm, wash him often (VERY OFTEN!). I know it stinks (Ha, no pun intended!). It’s not the most favorite chore on my list either, but if you keep them clean, then it will keep your house smelling clean.
Don’t Cook a Smelly Meal
Here is the second worst smell I have encountered while showing houses. If you get a hankering for sauteed onions and peppers, fried fish, or french fries in the Fry Daddy for dinner, Just Say No! If the smell of whatever you’re cooking typically lingers into the next day, then wait to put that on the menu after your house has already gone under contract. It smells good while you’re cooking, but the lingering effect gets worse and worse and it’s hard to get rid of as quickly as you’ll need to if your home is on the market for sale.
Use Cleaning Products that Smell Good
Just because your counter tops in the kitchen and bathroom aren’t dirty doesn’t mean you can’t clean them again 🙂 My favorite all purpose cleaner is Lysol Multi-Purpose Cleaner. It smells so good, so a quick wipe down with this will give potential buyers a clean but not a “they’re hiding something” odor. Another product that makes my house smell good instantly is Febreze Swiffer Pads. If you don’t have the Swiffer and mop the old fashion way, try using Mr. Clean Multi Surface Cleaner with Febreze. One quick swipe across your floors will make a big impact. If it’s carpet you’re cleaning, then pick up some Febreze Vacuum Cleaner Bags (Can ya’ll tell I like Febreze products? :). I get mine at Wal-Mart and they are priced competitively with the regular ones. It makes my house smell so good every time I turn on the vacuum and that’s what you want to achieve while your house is on the market for sale.
Dryer Sheet + Air Vent = Greatness
I had a box of dryer sheets in my car the other day. I had forgotten about them, but as I was in and out of my car showing houses, I would smell them each time and it was delightful. Imagine that clean smell drifting throughout your house. It’s better than spray air fresheners and will last longer if you place them inside your air conditioning vents. When you do this, make sure you don’t use so many that the smell will overwhelm buyers and put them in there neatly. Don’t have them hanging out of the sides all messy like.
I know you’ve seen on TV home sellers baking pies and cookies, or buying them and putting them in the oven before they leave so the house smells good. That is great if you have time to do that, but what happens when you go to work and get a call for a 1pm showing and you have no time to get home to bake a yummy treat? Following these 4 steps before you leave the house will ensure your house is pleasing to potential buyer’s eyes and noses!
