Selling your home? Have a Smokin' Sale! (without the smoke)
If you or a fellow tenant dabble with a smoking habit, you may want to consider designating an outdoor area of your home for this, at least for the duration of your home sale.
I recently had a few home tours scheduled with a few different clients in which we visited homes that were occupied by tenants. Not a big deal. The tenants were very obliging to our visit. What I did encounter, though, was an overwhelming amount of cigarette smoke that permeated the home. What was remarkable on each occasion was that the cigarette smoke was overwhelmingly saturated by floral and perfumed scents from apparent attempts to mask the smoke and evidence of the smoke's source. My clients were privy to both, but were still on to continue the tours.
But I was left with an impression - cigarette smoke, and other odors, may or may not deter a ready and willing buyer to submit an offer, but it can leave a subliminal impression, whatever that may be, to a given visitor. A good rule of thumb is to make a listed home welcoming and inviting to all prospective buyers. This includes some advance planning. A last minute attempt to mask an odor will only amplify the issue. If you will be in the home at any point of the sales/viewing process:
- Try to air out the home as naturally as possible
- Open a few windows
- Have a fan blowing for air circulation, etc
- If you're getting ready to sell, try using a designated outdoor area to smoke
- The smoking area should be a certain distance away from the home, away from any air ducts to ensure residual smoke isn't drawn into the home
- Safety first! Ensure you have a container to collect the smoking ash. You'll also want a container to catch any remaining cigarett butts to keep that home looking lean and clean!
- Fabrics can retain odors
- Try to deep clean carpets
- Wash/air out/clean detachable fabrics as you're able (curtains, sheets, etc)
A few quick fixes could help keep your sale from going up in smoke, and will help your listing come up smelling like a rose!
Happy Selling!
I hope you found this helpful - If you need assistance or have questions about the Northern Virginia/DC Metro area housing market, I’d love to help! Please feel free to contact me at the following:
Cristin Halla
NBI Realty LLC
571-244-6249
cristinhalla@gmail.com
facebook.com/cristinhallahomes
twitter.com/hallahomes
Locally-grown DC area native and licensed Realtor
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