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

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! 😊

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

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!

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

   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.

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. 

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

yep,  definitely I do agree

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

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.

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.

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!