There is Something in the Air

You’re ready to put your home on the market and have gone through the checklist to make it as presentable as possible — the rugs and furniture have been cleaned, the painters touched up the rough spots, your lawn is perfectly groomed and nothing is out of place. Yet despite these efforts, the offers aren’t coming in as fast as you had anticipated and you’re not sure why. One reason could be that potential buyers smell something in your house that you can’t because you’ve gotten used to it. Below are the top odors that you need to remove to ensure that buyers aren’t making decisions about your home based on their noses.

Unique cooking smells — If you enjoy cooking exotic dishes or use pungent spices, there is a possibility that your kitchen still smells like last night’s meal, or worse, one from last week. If this is the case, you may want to give your kitchen a little extra attention. Giving the entire kitchen a thorough cleaning including throwing lemons in the garbage disposal and lighting lightly scented candles will do the trick. If you have windows in the kitchen, keep them open for a few hours before a showing to let the fresh air in. Also, be sure to dispose of garbage immediately after each time you cook — smells tend to linger, even if the leftovers aren’t around for very long.

Sporting Good Smells — Even if only kept in the garage, bags of hockey, football, lacrosse or other sporting equipment leave highly unpleasant odors. Work-out rooms in your home may also be more unpleasantly fragrant than you realize. Sporting goods stores sell a variety of deodorizers for sneakers, cleats and other athletic equipment that harbor odor.

Smokers — Whether you smoke, someone you live with does, or someone who lived in your home before you did, there may be a staleness or filmy yellow/brown residue on the walls or ceilings that you may not be aware of. In addition to not smoking in your home once it is on the market and keeping windows open, in more severe cases, walls may even need another coat of paint to cover up the damage that smoking can cause.

Mold and Mildew — Oftentimes, homes that do have this odor require more work than others. Mold can damage the structural integrity of your home, which may result in the need to bring in an expert and fix the problem before it gets any worse or causes health and safety risks to you and your family.

Pet Odors — We all love Fido and Fluffy but potential buyers won’t enjoy smelling what they’ve left behind. Be sure rugs are properly cleaned, litter boxes are pristine and your pet is clean and kept either in a cage, outside (weather permitting) or small room during showings. Some people do not like pets and would prefer that they are not interfering with their tour of your home. Carpets also have a tendency to trap animal odors, and leave a lingering smell even when your pet isn’t around. Febreeze may do the trick, but it is a good idea to have professionals come in to clean the carpets and to bathe your pets regularly while your house is on the market.

Garbage in the garage — Ensuring that your entire home is ready-to-view requires that you keep the garage clean as well. Garbage in the garage can be offensive to many (even if there isn’t a lot of it) and needs to be taken care of. Try arranging an additional garbage pick-up if your normal garbage day doesn’t align with showing days.

A final note — because you are likely accustomed to the smells in your own home, ask a friend to go through your house and openly identify any areas that may be problematic. Your real estate agent should tell you directly if there’s something that may put others off when they open the door, but it is a touchy subject. Experienced brokers have seen (and smelled) it all so there’s no need to be embarrassed. They also have the experience and expertise to help you fix the problem so your house judged on its beauty and not by its odor.