SCENTED PLUG-INS & COOKING ODOURS CAN HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON BUYERS

I remember a home that had SO MANY scented candles burning.. it was terrible.  Two or three in each room.  UGH! 

Gloria, you are so right! Heavily perfumed living areas are offensive. Not only does an overpowering fragrance assult upon entry, but it also raises red flags and makes guests wonder what a seller might be trying to hide / mask. This goes for personal fragrances as well... The master suite and bathrooms are high-risk areas for 'personal smell' to leave an unwelcome footprint on the olfactory senses. It is hard for buyers to envision themselves living in someone else's space, and when an area smells strongly of the current occupants, imagination is hindered.

Oh please tell me you haven't had sellers who didn't flush the toilet. Please...

Congratulations of the Feature! You are correct that not everyone finds certain scents as pleasant as other. Sometimes I wonder if the seller truly wants to sell. 

May I add, that odors don't always come from the home....agents can stink it up too, with to much cologone or perfume!

Gloria, interesting post. Thanks

Gloria, these are all valid points.  The cover-up is always a giveaway that something is wrong.  Many of the scents are as offensive as the odor that is being diminished.

Some people like to live with those plug ins and scentend candles. Not me! I get an instant headache walking through the section of a store that sells Yankee Candles - and they aren't even burning!

To answer Suzanne (#$) - we once had a house listed that was occupied by a tenant who would leave a big mess if he knew we were coming. Part of that mess was that he didn't flush. If we showed up unexpectedly, the house was clean and the toilet flushed.

As for fish - I always boil a bit of vinegar to remove the stink after we've had fish for dinner.

Some of this is very culturally oriented.  During the winter some smells like Chicken Soup, Cookies, or baking bread can be an enhancement in a clean kitchen.  

Gloria, thank you for the great post! It's all too common that clients don't realize the importance of keeping their homes clean and ready to be shown. 

The first thing I think of when the house has lots of deoderizers is what are they trying to hide as many of the comments here show the same general feeling. You need to have your seller fix what ever is causing the smell in the first place as a good home inspector will likely find it.

Gloria, Thanks for sharing this!  I like to tell my clients about a product called Pure Ayre.

But you are right -- to get rid of of curry and other strong scents like cigarette smoke is SO difficult! I have a very sensitive nose and I pick up on smells. Thanks for the reminder to us all.

I happen to be sensitive to odors and can appreciate what it can do to a showing.

Another point, less often noted, is that the oil based deodorizers and candles create a vapor, which is what we smell. In prolonged use this vapor can cause staining and "ghosting" on ceilings and walls which can be difficult to paint over.

My personal preference is a couple of dryer sheets on the forced air filter, it seems to be a much lighter fragrance when simply opening up the windows and airing the house out isn't practical or sufficient.

It depends on the odor as to whether it's challenging. Some odors are very relaxing and many businesses employ aroma therapy to set the stage to calm and excite their customers.

The aroma of freshly baked cookies is the best aroma therapy to greet prospects IMO.

"Clean"is the best smell. And I don't mean Pine Sol smell. That smells like a cover-up to me.

Just went into a home yesterday with the worst smelling room deodorizers in the wall. When someone has allergies this can give them a headache as well as put their antenna up as to what this odor is hiding. In this case...a very dirty home with lots of clutter. The buyer wanted to leave after one minute.