'What’s that smell?' Dealing with odors when selling a home

Man's best friend can be a home seller's enemy.

The last thing you want buyers to think when they walk into your home is “What’s that smell?” Odors contribute to first-impressions and usually in a negative way. We’ve had buyers walk away from homes they otherwise love because of smells. You don’t want buyers to think about smells at all when they walk in the door. No odor is the goal. Here’s how to get there.

The first step is to borrow someone’s nose. Ask someone who doesn’t live in your home—and someone who will tell you the truth—to assess its smell. We all get used to our own smells, making us incapable of noticing them. Remember how your grandmother’s house smelled? We all need an unbiased nose. In addition, a good real estate agent will let you know in her own way that odor is an issue during the listing appointment.

Common culprits

The major odorous causes are no big mysteries. Here are some solutions you may want to try.

Smoke: Sadly, the only real remedy for homes where smokers have lived for a long time is new paint and new carpet. We have not found many other ways to get rid of the smoke smell. Some people recommend squeezing fresh lemons into small amounts of baking soda and placing them on plates around the house for a few days. Other people recommend doing the same thing with vinegar instead of baking soda and lemons. We have not had any clients try these approaches, but they are worth a try.

Pets: Cats can be the biggest problem when it comes to pet odors. We encourage our clients to empty litter boxes morning and night. We also recommend cleaning and deodorizing carpets. In some cases, you may need to ask a friend to keep your cats until your home goes under contract. With other pets, make sure you clean cages frequently.

Teenage boys: Any experienced real estate agent knows if teenage boys reside in a home as soon as she walks in the front door. You can’t do much about the hormones they exude, but you can address their clothes, sports equipment, and shoes. We recommend bagging the odorous equipment and shoes and storing them in the garage or even the trunk of a car. To take care of the smelly clothes, you may have to do laundry every night. We also suggest you do a deep cleaning of teenagers’ rooms. You never know what you may find under the bed!

Food: As you know, some food odors can linger, especially if you cook similar dishes with similar spices several times a week. Steaming cauliflower and broccoli is a great way to clear everyone from the kitchen! This is one area when an unbiased nose can help, too. You may not notice the odors of your favorite cuisine. Try lighting a few candles well before buyers preview your home.

Candles and potpourri: This is an instance in which you can have too much of a good thing. You can light a candle or two to try to rid your home of some odors, but don’t overdo it. You don’t want your home overpowering people with bad—or good—smells. Even overpowering good smells can make buyers wonder what you are trying to hide. If you do choose to light a candle, use more neutral scents like fresh linen and steer clear of flavors like strawberry.

If these measures don’t help, you might consider hiring a professional company that specializes in odor removal. We would love to hear if you have had success with odor-removal companies or with any other home remedies. Please let us know what has worked for you.