The Sense of Smell and Selling Your Home

The sense of smell and selling your home are much more interconnected than you might realize. Smell is a very powerful sense and the associations made with aroma can make or break a deal. Some of the odors that most of us find offensive are obvious and should be taken care of immediately. Lingering smells from dogs, cats, pocket pets, and birds can be pungent. Stale smoke is an immediate turn off. And of course any smells left over from cooking can give the entire home a rather unpleasant feel.

When people smell foul odors they tend to shut down to the visual aspects. Your home may look beautiful but having an odor hanging in the air can prevent you from selling your home the instant a potential buyer walks in. If their emotional reaction is negative due to aroma, they aren't going to see past that reaction and start looking at the actual beauty your home has to offer.

The biggest mistake that sellers make when trying to make their home smell good is using a product that is loaded with perfumes. What may smell good to you might not smell good to a potential buyer. Just like the smell of cookies in the oven can make you hungry, the aroma of heavy perfumes can turn some buyers off immediately. Covering one aroma with another generally doesn't work. The original offending smell often comes through the heavier perfume odor.

Start with a thorough cleaning. It might seem like a natural conclusion but often when you're selling your home time is of the essence. Most sellers don't believe they have time to thoroughly clean before showing their house. If you're not thoroughly cleaning you are going to have a hard time removing odors. Remove items that hold onto smells like pet beds. You will also want to change the sheets on every bed and clean the kitchen. Washing the walls, light fixtures, and the ceiling can help eliminate unpleasant aroma as well.

Using neutral aromas can be helpful. There are neutral scents that can be highly beneficial when you're trying to sell your home. Since we all tend to associate smell immediately with good or bad memories, thoughts, or circumstances neutral aromas rarely cause a reaction in a potential buyer. The sense of smell is so important when selling your home that many realtors will have special recommendations for different homes in order to help improve the odds of keeping the air neutralized.