There’s an old saying in real estate “If I can smell it, I can’t sell it”. If your home has strong unpleasant odors, you want to eliminate those smells so a buyer won’t literally turn up their nose at your house. However, some people like to use scented candles, potpourri or other plug-in, stick-up artificial scents. I was in one house last week and was greeted by something that smelled almost but not quite like fresh baked cookies. Something was a bit off in the smell. There were no cookies in the oven – it was a scented candle. The nose knows real aroma from fake scent.

I’ve seen home sellers overdo it where each room has a different aroma. The heavier the scent, the more buyers will think you are trying to cover up a nasty smell. You also want to keep in mind that many people have allergies. The Misty-Meadow-After-The-Rain scent that you find very attractive could set off a sneezing fit in a buyer looking at your home.

When you’re selling a house, my recommendation is to clean the house and open the windows to air it out rather than use any type of artificial scent.