If you are putting your home up for sale, there are plenty of things you can do to improve its aesthetic appearance to make it more attractive to potential buyers. You have probably heard all about staging and how to give it a minimalistic appearance, or how making some minor repairs can mean that you get a better price. But no matter how many changes and improvements you make to the look of your home, if you don’t deodorize it before inviting potential buyers in to look around, you might struggle to get a quick sale.
What Smells Might be Lingering in Your Home?
You may be so used to your home that you don’t notice any funky smells, but you can bet people who have never been in your home before will be able to spot them. And depending on what those smells are, they may be enough to put them off.
For example, weird smells can often emanate from older furniture that has not been cleaned for a while. Or there could be a musty smell coming from a leaking pipe somewhere in the home. Consider also, the fact that smells from cooking and trash cans tend to linger. You might not notice them because you are used to them, but they will be apparent to new visitors. You need to make sure you get rid of them.
Checking for Smells
It is worthwhile checking around the home for smells that could be deemed offensive. Look in your refrigerator to see if there is any rotting food such as fruit or vegetable hiding away in a corner. Do the same inside your cabinets. It might be that something has spilled and is now causing a sour smell.
Your dishwasher or washing machine could also be the culprit. Mold and mildew can start to grow inside drawers and other components of these machines if they are not allowed to air or are not cleaned regularly. Shake some bicarbonate of soda inside both machines and spray liberally with some white vinegar before running a self-cleaning cycle. This should help to eliminate any bad odors.
If you have teenagers, then it might be worth checking inside their closet for funky-smelling shoes. Teenagers tend to sweat more because of hormonal changes. Moreover, because they are not known for being the cleanest of creatures, they are likely to have no problem wearing the same smelly pair of shoes over and over. The experts at Utah-based ShoeFresh say that smelly shoes should be cleaned and then sprayed with a neutralizing shoe deodorizer to prevent smells from returning.
Making Your Home Smell Good
Once you have given your home a good clean and have checked for bad smells, you might be wondering if there are ways of making your home smell good before potential buyers come to see it. The reality is that you could use things like essential oils, air fresheners, and other perfumes to make your home smell ‘good’, but this is subjective. You are going to be choosing scents that you like with no way of knowing whether those same smells will be as appealing to buyers.
It is best to avoid perfumes and instead use some natural smells such as baking or some fresh cut flowers. Consider baking a loaf of bread or some cookies in the morning so that this natural smell fills the house. Most people will find this appealing. And fresh flowers not only smell good, but they also look good too.
By getting rid of the funky smells and replacing them with natural scents, you may get that quick sale you are after.
