7 Smells Homebuyers Hate

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Here are 7 smells homebuyers hate that you should avoid especially when staging or preparing for showings.

Cooked Food : Open a window when cooking. Throw out trash after cooking. Leave a small bowl of ground coffee or vinegar exposed on the counter. Avoid cooking fish, spices, like curry or onion powder, or ethnic food.

Appliances: The biggest odor box is the refrigerator, so make sure to remove smelly or rotten food from the fridge at least once a week. Combat the smell by placing a box of baking soda in the fridge to absorb odors, and wipe down shelves when needed.

Clothing: Wash linens and clothing on a regular basis, don't let it pile up when selling. Leave the shoes outside to air instead of in the entry way. Use an odor-eliminating product like Febreze on bigger items that can't be put in the wash.

Pets: Make sure to brush and give your animals a bath regularly. Constantly keep on top of litter boxes by cleaning them out every other day. Make sure to steam clean carpets and replace wood where it's damaged.

Smoke: When selling a house you must stop smoking in your home (no ifs, and or buts). Smoke sticks to everything, even light bulbs, so when the light is on and hetas up, the scent will return. In this case, if you keep the light bulb clean it wiil remove the lingering odor. Try leaving a bowl vinegar out for 24hours prior to showing to remove the smell of cigarette smoke - though this won't help heavy smokers.

Mold: Take care of musty and moldy smells immediately with a dehumidifier, or kill mold spores using chlorine dioxide. if it's extremely bad, hire a professional. Don't mess aound with this smell because it can make your family sick quickly.

Air Vent: Change the filters in any ventilation, heating or air conditioning system. There's no sense allowing a smell to circulate in your ventilation system. This will not only deter lingering smells throughout the house, but it will help keep those systems working better. Also, check air vvents and wall outlets as an odor source, because there may be a dead mouse or something else in the wall causing the stink.

Source: http://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/7-smells-homebuyers-hate/

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