Upgrades, decluttering, and cleaning are all important parts of the staging process but don't underestimate the importance of your home's scent. An unfamiliar or bad home smell can be a major turnoff to home shoppers, which is why it's so important to go for a fresh, clean, and neutral scent. After all, the smell is also the first thing shoppers notice when entering your home.
Our real estate agents are big believers in the power of scent, so we put together a list of tips to make your home smell fresh and clean.
- Remove Existing Smells First
Before you add a new scent, you'll want to remove any old, lingering scents first. Start by doing a thorough deep clean of the entire house. When selecting cleaning products, avoid anything with an overpowering scent. Some people are sensitive to lavender or orange. Stick to basic fresh scents when you can. Odors also seep into carpet, drapes, curtains, and furniture, so you'll want to treat these areas especially well. Do a thorough steam clean of all the fabric throughout your home. Or, you can also try the baking soda approach. This well-known household product is notorious for its odor-fighting properties. Simply sprinkle it over your furniture or carpet, let it sit for about half an hour, and then vacuum it up. - Let in Some Fresh Air
Once you've eliminated any odors, open up some windows or doors to let fresh air make its way inside (weather permitting). Visitors will find the fresh, natural scent to be refreshing. Just be sure you have functioning screens -- you don't want to let insects inside. - Try Some Reed Diffusers
If you really want to create a good, strong scent, you may want to try reed diffusers. Choose scents that are neutral and less distracting, like citrus, herbs, or vanilla. Try to keep things consistent where possible and avoid using drastically different scents in different rooms. - Bake Something Delicious
Some of the owners of these beautiful Naples homes for sale will bake cookies, brownies, or muffins before an open house to get that wonderful bakery aroma permeating throughout the kitchen. If you time things just right, you can pull your baked goods out of the oven just in time for your home shoppers to arrive. Then you'll be able to offer your home shoppers a warm, delicious treat. - Light a Candle
Candles are a great way to control the scents inside your home. When choosing a candle, the goal is to keep the scent subtle. Best of all, candles can double as some nice decor. Strategically place them in rooms across your house to maximize their effectiveness. - Use an Oil Plug-in
Oil plug-ins are a cheap and discreet way to add some pleasant scents to any room. These devices can plugin into any outlet and disperse a light spritz of a scented oil of your choice periodically throughout the day.
A clean-smelling house can make a world of difference when it comes to winning over buyers during a showing or an open house. For more home staging tips, contact us today.
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