Living Real Estate with Realtor Susan Livingston "Creating a Scentmosphere"

Independent studies have confirmed that deploying particular scents in a home for sale can dramatically increase the home’s appeal to a potential buyer.  With that being said, what is the best way to go about changing your home’s “scentmosphere”?

1. – The Friend Test – Often times, we get used to particular scents in our home, so much so that we don’t even notice that they’re there.  Litter boxes, old couches, bathrooms, and bedrooms can all breed their own “scentmosphere”, and some can be more noticeable and offensive than others.  Have a friend come over and, well…..Smell your home.    Your friend doesn’t live in your home.  They can pick up on things that you may not be able to, like the smell of dirty laundry, a musty-smelling finished basement, or a well-lived-in bedroom.  These “other person” smells can turn off a buyer in a heartbeat.  If you are a smoker, then stop smoking inside while your house is on the market.  Keep children’s rooms tidy and clean-smelling.

2. – Kitchen Comfort – There are many scents that can be utilized in the kitchen to make it more appealing.  Candles, lemon wedges chopped up into a garbage disposal, cinnamon sticks in the oven, and fresh-cut flowers can be utilized for this purpose. Some people swear by citrus scents, others by baked goods, but it really boils down to personal preference.  Lavender has been shown to produce a calming effect, and fruit scents like apples and peaches can carry classier undertones.

3. – Subtlety is key.  You want a noticeable “scentmosphere”, but not one that is overpowering.  Pick your scents accordingly.  If you overdo it, people may think you’re trying too hard to cover something up.  Remember that because we breathe, we smell things constantly.  Each individual smell shouldn’t be strong enough to cover multiple rooms in your house.  You don’t want your entire downstairs to smell like the cinnamon you have in the kitchen.  Likewise, a fresh lemon scent all over the entire house can make it seem like there are smells that will creep into the “scentmosphere” once the lemon scents wear off.  Less is more.

susan@susan-livingston.com