HOW SMELLS AFFECT SALES
Showing homes to potential buyers is always an exciting adventure. After a few successful deals I can usually tell when clients are more or less interested in a home within seconds of walking in. In fact, I can almost always tell which home they are going to want to make an offer on. In this time, the number one thing that I have found that can make or break comparable properties is… the scent. That’s right, not the price, not the amenities, not the updated tile in the entryway, it’s the scent. This has me considering, “how does smell affect the sale of a home?”. Being a behavioral science major, I set off to find some clues.
We’ve all heard that first impressions matter. One way that first impressions can matter in the sale of your home is through the scent. The Proust Effect is activated when we smell or taste something familiar from our past and certain memories or feelings occur. These can be good or bad associations. (Green, 2023) The New York Post wrote an article in 2018, citing a survey by Dollar Shave Club, that claims you only have 27 seconds to make a good first impression. (Schmall, 2018) I don’t know if I need to tell you this, but buyers aren’t seeing your home in 27 seconds or less. In my experience it takes about 30 seconds just to walk into the door and figure out which direction to go. One of the first impressions your buyer has at that point is the smell of the property.
Let’s talk about some options for dealing with a property that is less than pleasing to the nostrils. First, get an honest opinion from friends, relatives, or your listing agent. Don’t take it personally if they say you could use a freshening up.
Get rid of the rancid:
Take out all trash in the home, from the kitchen, bathrooms, diaper pails, etc.
If you have cats change out their litter box often, or consider switching to a disposable options from a place like kitty poo club. Kittypooclub.com This would also be a good time to wash any pet bedding.
Keep the sink and counters free of any dirty dishes
Laundry that is a few days old can also be causing some unpleased odors
Clean out the fridge and move it to clean behind and under it
Clean the oven and move it if you are able, to clean below and behind it
Give those toilets a good scrub
Wash bedding and curtains with a fragrant soap
Once all offending odors are gone, if you’d still like to do a little something extra, here is my favorite home hack for a good scented home. Get a bottle of leather scent from the car cleaning section of your local automotive or general store. I spray this on all fabrics as a base layer. The scent of leather helps to create a neutral scent palate for the next step. Next I take some of my favorite laundry detergent “Diva” from Tyler Candle Company and I mix it in a spray bottle, 1 part Diva wash, 1 part rubbing alcohol, and 1 part distilled water and I spray this over the leather scented spray. I get so many compliments in my open houses with this combination. I hope you have found this helpful. To follow me for more tips find me on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/karenselling580, on Instagram @karen_dreamholmes, and tiktok @karen_dreamholmes.