Nothing trigger's the memory quite like a familiar smell... Remember this when you're trying to sell your home, because home buyers sure do.
This past weekend, I was working with a lovely couple of newly weds who were excited to be out shopping for their first home. We toured 9 homes that day, and they could easily recall and describe almost each and every home by the particular odor it had.
One house was spacious, and very functional, but had a distinctly musty smell to it -- a tell tale sign of the mould problem that had once been present, and reportedly remediated. Certainly the remaining odour brought up questions as to whether the problem was completely gone.
Another home was cozy, but could have had potential since the entire house was in the process of being repainted, the flooring was all being replaced, and the basement was in the process of being completely refinished. In a starter home, on a modest budget, what more could you ask for right? Well, when we showed up for our appointment, it was the contractor doing the work who greeted us at the door, and explained all of the renovations that were going on. We toured the home, and though it was actually a cute little house, and in better condition than others we had seen, my clients couldn't wait to leave. When we got into my car, all of the windows were immediately opened. Why? Because the contracter who was painting and doing all of the work was smoking in the home the entire time we were there, and likely during the renovations. Does wonders for new carpet.
The last home we visited was the tiniest house I had ever been in, and for good reason. The house was almost 100 years old, and as the home owner explained to us, in those days in Canada, homes were built smaller so they were easier to keep warm during our cold winters. He was a delightful man, and went on to explain what he knew about the history of the home. As we toured this 500 square foot home, my clients were begining to get hungry.... the home owner had just been preparing his dinner, and the aromas of Italian cuisine wafted through the air.
So which home do you think these first time home buyers remembered most fondly?
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