Written by: Teresa Criswell
Three essential factors in assisting the sell of your home:
* Replacing smelly, repelling odors with inviting aromas
* Reducing clutter and distractions
* Staging music
If you want the 'for sale' sign to be a permanent fixture in your yard, a smelly and cluttered house will accomplish this goal. All kidding aside; the sense of smell is a tool used to your advantage or disadvantage. Have you noticed that your sense of smell recalls memories? For example, the smell of corn dogs reminds me of being a little girl going to the state fair. The smell of vanilla, pies or cookies reminds me of home. A warm place; a place of comfort.
Now, if you have animals, or smoke, most likely as mentioned before, your sense of smell has been 'deafened' to the odors. Let this be a reminder that the potential buyer is not only 'looking' at your home they are also 'smelling' your home. The solution to this is a deep cleaning. A great investment in regards to deep cleaning is to get your carpets cleaned. If you smoke, begin smoking outside...not in the garage, as most of the time the garage is a sponge for odors.
An essential idea for a beneficial aroma is to bake cookies or a pie before a showing. It is a great way to say, "Welcome home". If you don't want to go through the baking process, you can purchase the attractive diffusers:
If you do end up purchasing diffusers or candles, it is a good idea to purchase the same scent, as you don't want the different fragrances to compete. Remember your goal is to compliment the home; don't waste the potential buyers 'eye gate' or 'nose gate' with unnecessary distractions.
In addition to complimenting your home, the most essential part of staging is removing clutter. Any tiny knick knacks, family portraits, appliances on the counters, they should be removed and/or packed away. Although the potential buyer knows that your things will be removed in the moving process, it is still a distraction from the goal that you are trying to accomplish. Your goal is for the potential buyer to see the qualities of the house versus the quantity of 'stuff'. An easy solution to this obstacle is removing if possible, ALL distractions. A great example in what I call a 'distraction' is removing those bathroom rugs and mats. These are all distractions from the space. Click virtual tour to see a home that I was able to stage a few weeks ago.
Lastly, playing soft classical piano music is a great 'accent' to the selling of your home. If you can purchase a CD and have it playing in the background, this is a great tool in bringing the senses of smell, sight and sound in harmony as you compliment your home. When playing the music, make sure it is background noise; which is played softly toward the minimum volume.
These helpful links may also be of great assistance in the selling of your home:
