Don’t be the “Stinky House!”
Don’t be the “Stinky House!”
Don’t be the “Stinky House!”
Home shopping is fun, unless it stinks…literally. Yes, it’s awkward, but funky smells can send home buyers running for the door. Even a gorgeous home has a tough time overcoming an overpowering stench. Make sure your house doesn’t have these top sources for home odors:
- Too much of a good thing—Scents are just like houseguests, they are great in small doses but there is a point where it is too much of a good thing. Scented candles and simmers pots can smell amazing—but they can also be overpowering. Scent likes and dislikes vary by person and a strong scent can put off just as many as it pleases. Using one favorite candle is fine, but don’t light a strong one in every room. Some folks get headaches, allergies, or worse from strong scents, so keep it within reason.
- Fur Kids—There are two types of buyers in this world—those who love pets and those who don’t. When selling your home, you want to appeal to them all. The best way to appeal to the broadest buyer pool is to make sure all pet “gifts” are cleaned up daily—including the yard and litterbox.
- Smokey the Unsold House—Where there is a lingering smoke smell, you can guarantee there are home shoppers turning up their nose. Indoor cigarette smoke is a major turnoff to buyers and is fairly expensive to remediate. Buyers will be thinking of nothing except how much it will cost to repaint and clean and will be wondering if the smell will ever come out during the entire showing.
- Mildew –Mildew is an instantly recognizable odor and will send red flags to potential buyers and agents that there may be a bigger underlying issue afoot. If you can smell mildew, water is getting in somewhere and will likely continue to get worse until the problem is repaired. My best advice is to find out what is going on before it gets even worse. Once the water penetration problem is resolved, you can begin the thrilling task of mildew cleanup.
- Smelly Foods—While the food may taste great, you know the offenders who leave their stench behind after cooking. Some common foods to avoid when you plan on having guests or when your house is for sale are things such as sauerkraut, seafood and broccoli. I would also suggest skipping the bacon or sausage. While it seems inherently wrong to ever suggest not cooking bacon (I mean, c’mon…its bacon!), the grease odor does tend to stick around awhile.
- Gym Socks- No judgment here, but dirty laundry smells…dirty. Laundry isn’t fun but you definitely want to avoid the nickname of “the gym sock house.”
Every home has an odor at some point. It kind of falls under the “sorry, we live here” disclaimer. However, when your home is for sale, it is important to put your best scent forward. Once it’s sold—you can cook up all the bacon and burn as many candles as you please!
Lisa Priest now wants a BLT and is an East Texas Area REALTOR® with Picket Fence Realty, Inc. You can reach her via phone or text at 903-948-3343 or read more at BuyPalestine.com
