Have you smelled your house recently? Are you used to whatever odor is emanating you’re your carpet? Home smell is one of those things that can make or break a positive impression of your house, especially during staging. Follow these tips to neutralize bad odors and ensure home sell doesn’t stop your home sale.
Clean Carpets
Carpets soak up odors, good and bad. To get the scent out of your carpets, steam clean them. With area rugs, you’ve got the option to roll them up to store or toss rather than clean them.
Wash Curtains and Bed Covers
When was the last time you pulled down all of your curtains to wash them? Is the answer ‘never’? Curtains can have hidden odors, just like bed covers and blankets. By washing all of these items, you can remove hidden odors you didn’t even know you had.
Neutralize Bad Odors
If your house has a negative smell, you’ve got to neutralize it rather than masking it. Home buyers will be able to smell the bad odor peeking through the good odor and will be turned off.
Baking soda can soak up a bad smell. Sprinkle it on a stubborn odor, let the baking soda soak in overnight, and then vacuum up the baking soda in the morning. Alternately, fill several shallow bowls with baking soda and leave them around the house for several days to deodorize the home.
Clean the Fridge and Garbage Can
Bad odors can hang out in the fridge if you’ve got old food or stinky items, like blue cheese or sauerkraut. If you haven’t already cleaned out the fridge, this should be your next step.
Take out the trash and recycling, then clean the garbage can to remove old food that may have leaked out of the trash bag and stuck to the bottom of the garbage can. Plastic garbage cans, in particular, can soak up odors and hold on to them. A mixture of bleach and water will sterilize the garbage can and remove bad food odors.
Store Old Shoes in Plastic Containers
Old shoes can be a hidden culprit for stubborn bad odors. Set aside any old shoes that you no longer wear, or any shoes that are out of season. Place all of these shoes in a plastic container. Then go through the shoes you still have out. If you find some bad offenders, neutralize the scent with deodorizing balls.
Create a Welcoming Aroma in the House
Now that your house smells neutral, take it one step further and add a pleasing smell. Pick one odor with near-universal appeal, such as lemon, orange, or peppermint. Baked goods scents, like vanilla or chocolate chip cookies, are also popular. These scents can create an inviting smell and help the person walking through your home imagine living there with their family.
Keep the same aroma consistent throughout the home, so that someone can walk from the great room to the bathroom and bedroom and smell the same aroma. It can be subtly confusing to pick up different smells as you go through the home.
While candles are popular, you may not want to have an open flame in the house. Essential oils and aid fresheners are a safer option for scenting the home.
It’s worth taking a moment to do a quick walk-through before an open house or showing. This way, you can take note of any bad odors that have accumulated, treat the problem to give the room a pleasing smell.
Like with any element of staging your home, deodorizing can be a lot of work, especially if your house has suffered water damage. If you can’t stand the thought of dealing with yet another issue in your house, let HomeGo know. We specialize in an easier way to sell your home, no matter what it smells like. So, skip the baking soda and oil diffusers. Schedule your 10-minute walk-through for your no obligation cash offer today.
