It's amazing how important the sense of smell is to many people. If you're selling your home, and this applies across the board to houses, townhouses, condos, apartments, or whatever, you need to be aware of the power of odors. An odor like cigarette smoke can cause potential buyers to leave quickly without ever really considering purchasing your home. On the other hand, an odor like that of bread baking can conjure up all sorts of homey feelings and cause the same potential buyer to linger.
Do You Have "Deal Killer" Odors?
The two most common offenders are cigarettes and pet odors. Sadly, most people who smoke or have pets don't realize this. Often, they don't notice the smells themselves, so they think this isn't a problem. Well, it is. A surprising number of people will have a swift, strong, negative reaction. Would you like to smack every second or third prospective buyer in the face when they come through your door?
Anything cloyingly sweet like "room deodorizers" which really just cover up other scents by overwhelming them is likely to be an offender. The same thing is true of other strong, funky smells. Unwashed gym clothes and shoes, cooking smells from foods such as cabbage, fish or more than a little garlic or curry will probably be offensive to many people.
So is it really necessary to stop smoking (or only smoke outdoors), ban the dog to the garden and basement, wash the laundry, and stop cooking strong smelling foods until your home is sold?
Yes.
Beyond that, it's necessary to "clean up your act" if you're really desirous of selling your home. You've probably cleaned it up visually already, but what to do about lingering odors? Anything made of cloth holds odors for a long time. Carpets, upholstery, curtains and draperies, table skirts and the like will smell for months or forever. What on earth do you do about them?
If it's bad enough, carpets need to be replaced and upholstered furniture put into storage. However, it's often adequate to shampoo carpets and the upholstery in the most intense areas (your favorite smoking chair and the pieces nearby) and launder the curtains. Keep fans going while things are drying; you don't want to end up with mold and mildew smells. Your goal is to clean up the cause of the smell, not to cover it up.
Attractive Odors Attract
Odors people find attractive are very personal, but there are general smells that are pleasant and cause good emotional responses in most people. We've already mentioned baking bread. Almost anything that smells sweet when tends to be in this category ? cookies, apple pie, cinnamon buns, etc. Of course, it's not practical to bake the whole time your house is on the market, but one thing each week-end might be possible.
In cool weather, apple cider simmering with a cinnamon stick or two and a few cloves has much the same effect and is definitely easier to do. A vase or two of flowers with mildly scented flowers is another possibility.
Of the two, cleaning out offending scents is much more important than adding pleasant ones. If you can successfully do both, you're way ahead of much of your competition and it will help your home sell faster.
Raynor James is with http://www.fsboamerica.org - providing homes for sale by owner, "FSBO", properties. Are you thinking, "Should I sell my home?" Visit http://www.fsboamerica.org/seller.cfm to sell your home sale for free for one month.
Spain has a lot to offer Northern Europeans and until... Read More
The real estate bubble is a hot topic today; annual... Read More
Did you know that every year thousands of UK properties... Read More
What is a 'Home Warranty?'A home warranty is like an... Read More
If you turn on the TV, listen to the radio,... Read More
The only way to buy a home in Spain is... Read More
New Marketing and Design Psychology ideas help you stage homes... Read More
One key that makes investors is conversation or should I... Read More
In investment real estate the quickest way to wealth is... Read More
So how do you find the best foreclosures. Its not... Read More
As if one real estate transaction is not hectic enough?... Read More
When selling your home, you'll want to fetch the best... Read More
Several years ago I developed a philosophy in renovating houses... Read More
It might not seem necessary to involve a real estate... Read More
The phone range and Peter was on the other end... Read More
There is more to buying raw land than meets the... Read More
I am a total geek.A few weeks ago, late at... Read More
Well, as we have discussed in previous newsletters first you... Read More
Five months ago I was faced with a decision to... Read More
Home sellers who wish to market their property in development... Read More
As you grow older, the issue of wealth building comes... Read More
It's a large real estate agency, and the company depends... Read More
Property Investing Secrets:How You Can Turn A Below Average Deal... Read More
Cheap, Bargain, Real Estate; Good Deals, Below Market, Low Priced... Read More
Everyone has heard a story or read about someone who... Read More
The secret to success in real estate investment is finding... Read More
Welcome to the second segment of a three-part series about... Read More
In recent years buy to let has been a popular... Read More
Property investing prices pick up following a cooler winter last... Read More
Condos have become an increasingly attractive home ownership option for... Read More
One of the best roads to wealth in America has... Read More
It can be very frustrating to put your home on... Read More
Buying foreclosures can be extremely profitable for real estate investors.... Read More
In Real Estate "Time" is a Wealth Development ToolsReal estate... Read More
Moving to a new community can be a great adventure,... Read More
What is a loft apartment? At the most basic level... Read More
If you've read my article "Purchasing Property With No Money... Read More
Horses In My Back Yard by Jody Hudson, with Extensive... Read More
An example of seller financing: Years ago I bought a... Read More
Tenants in Common is a way of sharing ownership of... Read More
Investment Real Estate, First Things FirstConsidering investing in property? What... Read More
Homeownership, in any form, is a big step for most... Read More
Want to sell your home right away, for the highest... Read More
One of the biggest problems individuals just starting out have... Read More
The housing market has exploded in the last five years,... Read More
If there's one thing American investors love, it's an over-inflated... Read More
Buying and selling property is not as easy as you... Read More
Do you want to sell your home right away? Don't... Read More
That's an obvious question ? we all do! So what... Read More
Anyone interested in real estate should be able to talk... Read More
Sue and Chuck DeFiore have the perfect solution for you... Read More
You're travelling in a foreign country and you get arrested... Read More
If you're looking to get started investing in real estate... Read More
Not so, says the author of this article and four... Read More
When investing in real estate, it is highly desirable to... Read More
In days of booming real estate, you would think that... Read More
Do you want to build wealth through real estate? You... Read More
Here's the gripping story...You are the landlord of a small... Read More
Making money in real estate is an endless topic that... Read More
Suppose you've been trying to sell your home for months.... Read More
It's unfortunate that many real estate investors tend to look... Read More
As a successful Boston real estate agent, it always puzzled... Read More
As sure as the spring flows at the Fountain of... Read More
By being creative, you can play the game of real... Read More
First, lets start with what it is. Curb appeal is... Read More
One of the most common causes for disputes occurring after... Read More
Real Estate |