Does it really matter how “fresh” your home smells when buyers come for a tour? This guide explains.
How Important is Smell When You’re Selling a Home in Midland?
When prospective buyers come to see your home, they’re using all of their senses. Sure, vision is really important; they need to see the home’s layout and condition to make the right choice. However, smell is almost equally important. If a home smells musty, has pet odors, smells like cooked food (other than cookies or other sweet treats), or doesn’t smell very clean, buyers may form an unfavorable impression.
It’s important to remember that every little thing counts when buyers form an impression of your home. If they’re iffy on the layout but the home just didn’t smell right, they’re not going to make an offer. However, if they’re iffy on the layout but can tell that your home is immaculately clean and well-maintained because it smelled fresh, that’s another story; in that case, the way your home smells can make a huge difference in whether buyers will make an offer.
Find Out How Much Your Home is Worth Now
Neutralizing: The Most Important Thing You Can Do
The most important thing you can do when selling your home is to neutralize odors. That means addressing the root cause rather than masking smells.
Pro Tip: You should never try to cover up bad odors in your home, regardless of the source. You should always try to eradicate the source of less-than-stellar smells in your home, because if you don’t, buyers will notice.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for neutralizing all the odors in your home because different odors need different treatments. However, there are a few things you can do to help make your home smell more fresh before you list it for sale:
- Open the windows
- Treat your upholstery
- Clean up pet areas
Here’s a closer look at each.
Tip #1 to Neutralize Odors in Your Home: Open the Windows
Fresh, circulating air can make a huge difference in the way your home smells, so when you clean the house, open the windows. You might also consider investing in an air purifier; those that have charcoal filters can neutralize odors, and those with HEPA filters help remove allergens from the air.
Pro Tip: Turn on the built-in fan in your bathroom or kitchen and hold a piece of tissue paper up to it. If the tissue paper doesn’t stick to the fan, it’s a sign that the fan isn’t doing its job. You may need to have it professionally cleaned or repaired – but at the very least, checked out by a professional.
Tip #2 to Neutralize Odors in Your Home: Treat Your Upholstery
Upholstery is often a likely suspect when a home doesn’t smell very fresh. Furniture, rugs and curtains can trap and hold odors, so you should have them all cleaned thoroughly by a professional.
Related: How important is a home appraisal?
Tip #3 to Neutralize Odors in Your Home: Clean Up Pet Areas
The areas where pets hang out can get funky pretty quickly, which means you should go out of your way to thoroughly clean those spots – even if you don’t think your pet is leaving odor behind. Remember, too, that pet hair and dander can get into your upholstery (so if you have pets, you should have your upholstery cleaned).
Are You Buying or Selling a Home in Midland, Texas?
Use our site to search homes for sale in Midland and all of our surrounding areas. Unlike the “big name” sites out there, our site is directly connected to our local MLS and is updated faster. By creating a property manager account you can stay on top of the newest homes for sale and get price change alerts so you can stay ahead of other buyers and beat them to the best deals!
In the meantime, check out these 1-click searches:
Property Valuation Request Form
Leave A Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.