The smell of fresh bread or freshly brewed coffee have been said to put people in a positive mood and make them more optimistic. Those are exactly the kind of traits you would want the prospective purchaser to have when walking through your front door!
Professor Eric Spangenberg, dean of the college of business at Washington State University, says that complex smells, like baked goods and potpourri, are likely to dampen enthusiasm for a fast sale for top dollar, according to a study which they conducted at a home décor store in Switzerland. Complex scents, even if they’re pleasant, can be a distraction because some people subconsciously dedicate time and energy to figuring out what the aroma is. At open houses, purchasers are not there to process the smells; they are there to process whether this is a place they want to live. Instead, simple scents, such as orange, lemon, basil and pine should be used, since they’re easier to process, less distracting and thus more conducive to making your house alluring.
To make your home smell nice and fresh for prospective buyers, introduce simple scents as mentioned above, brew some fresh coffee and air your house often while it’s on the market. It is also a good idea to be mindful of what you cook in the days leading up to a showing since certain foods have strong scents.
No one wants to buy a house that smells like a gym bag either. Get rid of bad or strong odours as they could send potential purchasers running out the door! Don’t just cover them up; fix the source of the smell by:
  • taking out the trash,
  • cleaning the refrigerator,
  • clearing blocked drains,
  • washing dustbins,
  • washing dirty laundry,
  • airing the kitchen from old cooking smells,
  • sorting out damp problems and pet smells,
  • getting rid of furniture that is embedded with cigarette smoke,
  • If you are a smoker, place bowls of vinegar as well as a few charcoal briquettes around the house and leave them out for 3 days. Though the vinegar will smell, when you open the windows it will disappear quickly taking most of the stale cigarette smell out with it and charcoal is a great odor absorber. In extreme cases, walls will have to be cleaned or painted as a last resort and all upholstery, curtains and carpets may also need to be cleaned. In the future, rather don’t allow smoking in your house, as prevention is better than cure!