When house shopping, buyers rely on three of their five senses (touch and taste don’t come into play): Sight, sound and, not talked about a lot, smell.

How does it look? Fixer, fair, or beautiful?

How does it sound? Near a freeway, school, park, hospital, or flight path?

How does it smell? Good like fresh laundry, wholesome like baked bread, flowery from gardens, or like cigarettes, dogs, cats, mildew, or mold?

Twenty years ago, I met with homeowners who wanted to sell their property. The husband smoked cigarettes so heavily for so many years in the house that the ceilings and walls were yellowed from nicotine. I knew buyers would hate the smell of cigarettes, which would be a very hard sale.

Smokers’ homes can lose up to 30% in value. In San Diego, with the average cost of a home at $1,013,944, that’s a whopping $338,000 decrease in value (add that to the $8 per pack costs).

Because of societal changes and property devaluation, smoking is banned at all California hotels, car manufacturers phased out ashtrays in the 1990s, and it has become increasingly rare to see a house on the market with a cigarette smell problem.

More common now are pet smells. Also, about 20 years ago, I met with homeowners to sell their property, and this time, it was cat smells. They owned four cats and had become oblivious to the strong kitty litterbox and cat urine odor.

One of the most complex critiques an agent ever gives to a potential client is, “Your home smells.” 

If you are readying your home for the market, be sure to consider appealing to people’s olfactory sensory neurons:

Neutral smell homes (no cigarettes, pets, mold, or mildew)

Sparkly, clean homes smell good. 

Keep the home as tidy as possible, empty trash bins often, no dishes in the sink, be cognizant of the foods cooked before showings or open houses, replace old pillows with new ones, leave windows wide or partially open for fresh air for showings and open houses, no dirty laundry, polish wood and cabinets with fragrant cleaners like Howard Orange Oil or Orange Glo, grind citrus peels in garbage disposals while running hot water, light non-toxic beeswax essential oil candles, and don’t underestimate the old realtor trick of baking cookies!

Smoker homes

If you are a smoker, smoke outside but always empty ashtrays. Extinguished butts are a big turnoff to buyers. 

To eliminate or reduce indoor cigarette smoke odors, consider these top-to-bottom remedies:

Thoroughly clean ceilings, walls, and baseboards with vinegar or trisodium phosphate (TSP); seal them with an odor-killing primer like Kilz; and then paint them with an odor-blocking paint like ECOBOND OdorDefender, a professional-grade eco-friendly odor-blocking paint.

Fabrics absorb odors. Clean or replace all draperies, furniture, towels, bathmats, decorative pillows, linens, carpet and rugs.

Have a professional clean the HVAC air ducts and evaporator coil. Otherwise, every time the heating or air is turned on, rooms will be hit with a fresh blast of smoke smell.

Replace or clean lightbulbs. Dust on lightbulbs can give off a smoke smell.

Pets

If pet smells are extreme, follow the suggestions above for smoke smells. If mild, consider:

Scooping kitty litter boxes daily. (Weird tip: black light exposes cat urine)

Replacing the litter and wash the box with soap and water weekly.

No dog poo in the yard.

Keeping pet bedding clean.

Washing or grooming dogs to reduce dog fur smell.

Don’t leave uneaten dog or cat food in their bowls.

Use an air purifier.

Mold, mildew, or musky smells

Mildew is gray, white, or light brown in color and has a powdery appearance. Mold has a fuzzy, raised appearance and can be black, green, pink, or red. Mold is considered more harmful.

Moisture causes mold and mildew. Keep your house dry by fixing all leaks or water intrusion in appliances, crawlspaces, basements, attics, laundry closets or rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms (especially under sinks).

Use a dehumidifier if your home is somehow moist (that word always makes me laugh).

Ventilate damp areas.

Rodents and their droppings are not uncommon in crawl spaces and attics. Hire a pest control company to clear both areas of pests and their waste, including insulation. This is sanitary, healthy, and smell-eradicating.

Hundreds of products exist to clean mold and mildew.

Before putting your home on the market, invite a friend or family member who doesn’t live with you to walk the property with you, engaging their sense of sight, sound, and smell. 

Tell them to be honest; your goal is to sell your home for the highest price possible. 

– Reach eXp Realtor and La Mesa Councilwoman Laura Lothian at: [email protected].

Crédito de la foto: Pixabay.com