Smells Don't Sell!

So you finally have your house on the market. You have probably agonized for days over the first thing that your prospective buyer will see when he walks in the door of your home. Well now you can stop agonizing because a buyer will not 'see' anything first; in fact, the olfactory senses will be the quickest off the mark.

The minute you open your front door to welcome them, the air from inside your home will hit his/her nose and this will be their first memory of your home. Realtors believe that an unwanted smell can kill a sale nine times out of ten because once the 'not-so-good' smell has registered, viewing the rest of the home has negative connotations. Of course, there is also always the fear that the smell will not disappear with the old owners!

Sometimes it can be a subconscious thing to dislike a home because of its smell. A couple may not know why they do not like the home, only that 'it doesn't feel right'. The fact that there is a negative memory associated with that house and it is locked into their brain may not be something that they are aware of.

Most of us would think that our house does not have a smell, but rather than putting your friends on the spot by asking them, imagine that it does have a smell and act accordingly. If you do have a pet, wash all its blankets and keep the pet outside all the time that you can. Buy a plug-in air freshener and locate it as near to the front door as your electrical points will allow. The hot oil type that plug in and give off a fresh smell all the time are very effective.

If you are fond of cooking curries, or even if you are not, think of getting your drapes cleaned and your carpet shampooed; often smells are absorbed by the fabric.

If the problem is a major one, then an ozone generator may be effective. These little machines actually change the structure of a molecule and in doing so, the smell becomes neutralized into an odorless state.

Sometimes a musty smell can be detected in a house and this type of smell usually originates from dampness as in mold or mildew. Dampness can cause microbiological growth which emits gasses and hence the musty smell. Using a moisture-sensor to locate the moist area will show you where to use an anti-microbial aerosol spray to stop or control the growth: follow directions.

Finally, if you had a fireplace, or trouble with your wood stove, and there is a smell of smoke in the home, there is another system that can be used. This is called 'thermo-fog' and it is even effective in ridding the home of fire and smoke smells. It works by producing a fog which permeates every particle of your home, just like odors do. The fog can permeate everywhere that the smoke went.

The fog exuded by the generator is a deodorizing one. This will follow the fire smoke into the same crevices and cracks that were holding the original smoke smell and neutralize it. This is not a process you can do yourself, a certified odor damage specialist must perform this for you.

Whichever method is the best suited for your home, ask your real estate agent to give you an honest opinion about the result. If there is still a residual problem after you have done all this, use the plug-in air fresheners and fling the windows wide open on nice days; old fashioned fresh air is also a good air-freshener!

Learn all about Florida's Emerald Coast, and the Destin real estate market, at EdKirkland.com. This site has everything you need to get started in the market, whether you're buying, selling, or investing. Our users enjoy a free home search and extensive information on local communities, such as the Grayton Beach real estate area.