The sweet smell of selling your home

When it comes to selling your home, experts are keen to stress the importance of scent in helping to increase a sense of ambiance and homely appeal. However, there are many theories as to which scents are most successful in helping to sell a home. This issue is made even more complicated by the fact that scent is highly subjective, and that due to our memories, individual experiences, and olfactory systems everyone experiences scent differently.

Nevertheless, there are some types of scents that are recommended again and again as being potentially helpful in selling your home, so the idea is definitely worthy of some consideration.

When you are planning to list your property on the market, here are a few scents that you should consider when trying to sell your home. We will also have a look at some scents you should definitely avoid when trying to sell up!

The best scents for selling your home

Fresh paint – While you don’t want to give potential buyers a headache with overly strong paint fumes, many people love the smell of fresh paint, and it can be difficult to stop your house from smelling like fresh paint if you have painted recently! Even if your viewers do find the smell of fresh paint particularly appealing, the scent will certainly be helpful in subconsciously convincing potential buyers that your home is fresh and ready to move straight into.

Vanilla – Vanilla is a tried-and-tested favourite for many sellers, and potentially one of the best scents for creating a comforting, homely atmosphere. Vanilla-scented candles are ideal for burning during viewings. A word of caution, however, vanilla should be subtle and, preferably, blended with other scents to avoid an overly cloying smell that could be perceived as sickly sweet!

Citrus – Citrus is a great option for scenting your home for viewings, with many people finding citrus scents to be clean, energising, and conducive to promoting optimism. In particular, citrus scents work well in areas like kitchens where cleanliness and a fresh atmosphere are paramount.

Food smells – It may seem something of a cliché but for some people, there is no smell more soothing and comforting than the smell of fresh bread or rich coffee that has just been brewed. However, exercise caution with food smells as no one wants to view a house that is full of other people’s cooking smells! Avoid any frying or cooking strong-smelling foods like fish, curry, or cruciferous vegetables for at least a few hours before viewings.

Cinnamon – Depending on the season it might make sense to scent your home with the heartening aroma of cinnamon. You can be clever and scent your home with cinnamon as a way of invoking a festive atmosphere, as some viewers will be imagining themselves spending the holiday season in your property when they come to view it. Cinnamon can be highly evocative when creating a cosy, family feel in your property.

Woody smells – Many people find woody smells to be extremely grounding and calming, meaning that woody scents are ideal for home viewings. Popular options are pine, vetiver, and sandalwood. The calming effect that woody smells create means that this is undoubtedly a strong choice for scenting your home for viewings.

Scents to avoid when selling your home.

Lilies and white flowers – This tip may be somewhat controversial as lilies are beloved by many. However, there are compounds in white flowers such as lilies called indoles that mimic the smell of decomposing flesh. There is also an association between lilies and funeral homes as white flowers have been used for their scent in burial and funerary rituals for centuries. Therefore, you may want to forego the lilies when trying to sell your house!

Overpowering scents – It’s best to err on the side of caution when scenting your home. Blasting your soft furnishings with overpowering air freshener is more likely to distract and annoy potential buyers than to help create an oasis of calm! Similarly, while essential oil diffusers have become increasingly popular in recent years, they can be intense when the diffused scent is allowed to build up in the air. More subtle ways of scenting your home include candles, wax melts, and reed diffusers.

Smoke – Even if you personally enjoy burning incense in your home, it might be best to burn candles instead while viewers are present. The reason for this is that many people subconsciously associate the smell of incense with the smell of burning cigarettes. Furthermore, allergies and conditions like asthma are frequently aggravated by smoke. Therefore, it’s best to avoid incense as a method of scenting your home during viewings.

As professional property buyers, LDN Properties have the necessary experience to buy your property quickly no matter the condition. We are happy to provide you with a no obligation offer for buying your house.

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