10 Scents that Buyers Love and Hate

Have you ever walked into a home and been bombarded by an overwhelming, unpleasant smell? Now, imagine you are selling your home and that is the reaction of a buyer when they walk into your home. Let's prevent that by learning about the top ten scents that buyers love and hate, so your home is smelling just right to get sold.

As a real estate agent in Ottawa, I have been helping people buy, sell or invest for over a decade and smell is an imperative aspect to a home’s appeal.

To avoid making these smelly mistakes in a home, I will start with a list of scents that many people HATE!

1. Smoke: Smoke can be really challenging to get out as an odor in the house and for that reason it usually turns buyers right off. Simply painting and removing carpet in the home is sometimes not enough to remove the smell of smoke. Using a machine called an Ozone Generator is said to have lasting and noticeable results in eliminating smoke smells.

2. Pets: Many people have pets and they can sometimes leave an odor in a home but, there are some tricks you can do to minimize that smell. A deep clean of your home could include: steam cleaning your furniture, getting your carpets cleaned and having your ducts cleaned.

3. Potpourris and Perfumes: Some people like to use these scents in their home however, many people find them too artificial and some people even have allergies to them. My suggestion is to avoid them all together.

4. Cleaning Products: If you use strong cleaning products, it can leave a chemical odor in your house and so, I advise using natural cleaning products instead.

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5. Strong Cooking Smells: As a seller, you may cook with spices, enjoy fried foods or even love fish and it all tastes amazing however, it may not smell amazing! Leading up to selling your home and on showing days, you will want to cook light to prevent this problem.

6. Musty Smell: Often a basement is most likely to be the area with a musty smell. If you have a basement that is prone to being a little bit damp, run a dehumidifier regularly to minimize that as much as possible and that should reduce the smell.

7. Plug-ins: Scented plug-ins are popular but, overusing them can make the buyer feel as if there is some sort of issue being masked in the home. Consider using natural good scents instead.

8. Too many Smells: Sometimes sellers can have the idea that using various “good” scents is a way to ensure their home smells nice for buyers however, even using too many good smell can be overpowering and confusing to the buyer. The intention of the seller should be to have their home smelling fresh and inviting.

Let’s transition to the good smells that can be used to create a fresh and inviting appeal in your home!

9. Baking: Baking sweet items such as: chocolate chip cookies, scones, or apple pies with a hint of cinnamon have shown to be enjoyable scents to buyers. It can make potential buyers feel comfortable in your home and even trigger fond memories.

10. Fresh Flowers: Flowers can provide multiple advantages with their visual appeal as well as their fragrance. It’s a natural way to bring beauty into a home and benefit from their smell.

If you are thinking of selling soon and would like a list of my tips and tricks to a successful sale, reach out to me (Liza Wilson) and I will provide that to you. Happy Selling!