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If You Can Smell It - I Can't Sell It

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 311291

 

If You Can Smell It, I Can't Sell It

Getting your home ready to sell? Let's face it: a lovely scent can be the secret ingredient to getting those potential buyers swooning! Here are some light-hearted tips to help your space smell amazing, while being kind to anyone sensitive to strong smells.

 

Get your home deep-cleaned professionally! 

If you will do it yourself, roll up those sleeves and give everything in your home a good scrub! Vacuum those carpets, wipe down surfaces, and make those windows sparkle. A clean home not only looks good but also smells good.

Try simmering some water with lemon, orange, or cucumber slices. It’s a natural way of creating a fresh aroma without any of those overpowering artificial scents. Forget the cinnamon because of allergies.

 

Sprinkle baking soda on your carpets or upholstery, let it sit briefly, and then vacuum it up.  Odors are gone! 

Remember to let in the great outdoors! On every nice day, fling open those windows. The best homes have a whole-house attic fan. Let fresh air through your home. It works wonders for stale odors. And if you like air purifiers, opt for unscented or natural ones—your future buyers will thank you.

When it comes to candles or air fresheners, tread lightly. Some folks are sensitive, so if you must use them, stick to hypoallergenic or fragrance-free options. And for safety, forget the candles!

By following these simple tips, you can create a welcoming, fresh atmosphere that makes everyone feel right at home.

But remember, If You Can Smell It, I Can't Sell It

I first heard this phrase from Barbara Todaro 

And in honor of Jeffrey Richman read, the-smell-of-revenge 

Thinking of Buying or Selling a Home

Call Margaret Rome

Posted by

Margaret Rome
HomeRome Realty
Broker/Owner/Realtor®

Baltimore, Maryland


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Comments(29)

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Lew Corcoran
Better Living Real Estate, LLC - East Bridgewater, MA
Expert guidance. Exceptional results.

Thanks so much for sharing these practical and down-to-earth tips, Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400! I really appreciate the reminder that a fresh, inviting smell can make all the difference—without turning your home into a scent overload. Your insights are always a breath of fresh air! 😊

May 13, 2025 02:10 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Retired Home Stager/Redesign

Hi Margaret, all great tips!!!  I also suggest running ice cubes or baking soda and vinegar down your garbage disposal as well. 

May 13, 2025 06:35 PM
Anna "Banana" Kruchten
Retired Broker/Owner - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

Hi Margaret a couple of years ago I helped some folks sell their huge property BUT it had a pool house- man cave that smelled to high heavens of smoke.  I suggested they rent one of those air purifier machines and let it run for as long as it took to get rid of the smell.   It worked great within 4 days the room was fresh and clean....as well as professionally cleaned.  SOLD!

May 14, 2025 10:19 AM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Sensitive smells can really be a thing for a lot of people out there, but it is all about that balance.

May 14, 2025 11:18 AM
Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate
Fred Griffin Real Estate - Tallahassee, FL
Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker

   There is no argument over cigarette/cigar/marijuana smoke.  And it's hard to justify cat litter or dog beds.  And of course fried foods, curry/spices, and other cooking smells.

   But among the worst offenders are scented candles, plug-in air fresheners, incense burners, and other attempts to mask odors.  They don't mask it, they just add to the stench.

   Your advice is spot-on.   Clean the house!   Open the windows!   Turn on the fans!  The best scent is no scent.

 

May 14, 2025 11:25 AM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good evening Margaret,

You are right strong odors in a house are like the kiss of death when trying to sell. Great tips for those who can use DIY solutions. 

May 14, 2025 03:57 PM
Kris Collis, Associate Broker
Smart Way America Realty - East Stroudsburg, PA
Professional Results you Expect 570-801-5525

Margaret, love this. After the house repairs and cleaning, simmer the fruit in the pot. Set the aroma smell to sell, the buyers will remember the feeling of freshness that factored into their offer.

May 14, 2025 06:03 PM
Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp
SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties - Bourbonnais, IL
The Home Inspector With a Heart!

This is a great post. I inspected a house with so many Scentsy melters I could smell them from the driveway. 

On another one, the owner walked around the house with a Glade freshener hanging around her neck like a necklace. She also carried a bottle of Febreeze and sprayed it up in the air every so often and would walk into the mist soaking in the smell. She wondered why she was having headaches. Duh. Pretty easy solution I think.

May 15, 2025 04:31 AM
John Poulsen
RE/MAX Rise - New Haven, CT
John

Good Info, not running into smokers homes as much as I used too.

May 15, 2025 07:57 AM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home again, home again...

I think that even if it smells bad, Margaret Rome could still manage to sell it.

May 15, 2025 08:19 AM
Dr. Paula McDonald
Beam & Branch Realty - Granbury, TX
Granbury, TX 936-203-0279

You are spot on with this post. Stinky smells are such a turn-off for any potential buyer.

May 15, 2025 05:29 PM
Buzz Mackintosh
Mackintosh REALTORS - Frederick, MD
“Experience, reliable, leadership”

This is so true. I can remember a townhouse I had listed years ago where the cat smell was so bad that the seller had to reduce the price way under market to sell it.

May 16, 2025 03:34 AM
Jeffrey Richman
Immediate Home Solutions - Myrtle Beach, SC
Creative Real Estate Specialist

Hi Margaret,

Many times the houses that I buy smell to high heaven.  These are ones that usually need fix up and had lots of "deferred" maintenance.  When I smell cat urine, that usually will turn me on because I get a lot of those when I do fix and flips.  I do prefer newer houses now, but will never turn down an opportunity.

May 16, 2025 06:14 AM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400

Good morning, Jeffrey Richman,  I need to make you a sign that reads:

''If you can smell it, I can sell it!''

Speaking of smells, check out this post.

May 16, 2025 06:32 AM
Ed Silva, 203-206-0754
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Associate Real Estate Broker

The nose knows. You offer a lot of good suggestions 

I had a client that was buying a house where dogs had been allowed to roam 

everything smelled of dog 

We brought in a service that shut down the house forv2 days and treated it with a process that generated hydrogen peroxide gas  It cured everything and the family had no issues

May 16, 2025 06:15 AM
Peter Mohylsky Gulf Front Homes
Property Management International-Destin - Inlet Beach, FL
Call me at 850-517-7098

yep,  definitely I do agree

May 16, 2025 08:28 AM
Steffy Hristova
HomeSmart Elite Group Tempe AZ Tel: 602.710.8161 - Tempe, AZ
Tempe AZ Realtor - Your Home Close to Your Work!

Margaret, great advice with memorable illustrations! I liked the idea of natural fragrance - cucumber, orange, lemon. 

May 16, 2025 09:06 AM
Associate Broker Falmouth MA Cape Cod Heath Coker
https://teamcoker.robertpaul.com - Falmouth, MA
Heath Coker Berkshire Hathaway HS Robert Paul Prop

I just had this conversation:

DO NOT USE FRAGRANCE(S)! One of the most commented on and the most suspicious things at an open house is smell/odor. If you have a bad smell, find it and fix it. If it is a pet, do your best. If it is smoke, do your best. But do not use candles, plugins, sprays, incense, or the like. Open the windows, air it out. Some visitors may even be allergic to things you may use. Just don’t.

May 17, 2025 03:40 AM
John Juarez
The Medford Real Estate Team - Fremont, CA
ePRO, SRES, GRI, PMN

We, as agents, have all had the occasional experience of touring a home the reeked. Cigarette smoke. Cooking odors. If you live in a home like that, you do not notice. But those who visit when you are trying to sell definitely notice...and buy elsewhere.

May 18, 2025 03:12 PM
Doyle Davison
Hawaiian Beaches /Hawaii - 714-968-6767 - Huntington Beach, CA
30 years as your Concierge broker
I have 3 dogs. Remove them and smells go away within a day. Same with smelly people that can’t figure out deodorant in 2025’ aloha
May 18, 2025 05:14 PM
Wanda Kubat-Nerdin - Wanda Can!
Red Rock Real Estate (435) 632-9374 - St. George, UT
Southern Utah's Preferred Real Estate Agent.

Unpleasant smells are a no-go, especially when covering them up with strong scents! Walked into a house last week and had to get out quick because of an overwhelming deodorizer.

Had a client who lacked the sense of smell and depended on me to relay olefactory information to him, while looking at homes. It all worked out, Margaret, was happy to help! 

May 19, 2025 08:37 AM