Home Odors Make a Big Impact on Buyer Offers

I am sitting here writing my second review on a home I recently showed in Whitefish Bay. This is the second of two separate showing reports (to provide feedback to the Seller) state in BOLD print “Please STOP using Glade Plug-Ins as an air freshener.” Two different Buyers on two different occasions, abruptly left the home and did not make it to the second floor. The smell was so overpowering both Buyers felt sick. The negative impact of this on a home can mean thousands of dollars in lost equity.

A home’s smell is its signature and sometimes, can be even more impactful than staging. Buyers not only notice, they talk about the smell of your home from the moment they open the door to the time they leave.

Smell is one of those things often left undiscussed in preparing a home for sale, but it should be carefully planned. Sellers often don’t notice the smells in their own homes because they’ve grown so used to them. When I am showing properties, smell is one of the first things and last things the Buyers and I review. Moldy basement smell, caustic attics, cooking smells, and diapers are some of the biggest turn-offs for Buyers. It is very important that your home smell fresh and clean when you are selling. It’s one of the first things and last things I review with my Sellers, as well.

Remember: cleanliness is next to godliness. Every Buyer wants to see a clean and fresh home. Delivering on this will help lead to a quick sale. Most of the competing homes are not clean and clutter-free. It is a competitive advantage to make your home as neat and clean as it can possibly be. All the staging in the world cannot produce the same feeling to a Buyer as a clean and fresh property.