Selling your Home - The Sweet Smell of Success

Do you remember the last time you walked into a restaurant and it smelled a little funny and you ended up eating somewhere else.  Have you ever noticed how the big chain stores in the mall all have a specific scent.  These retailers have spent countless dollars researching and determining what scents will help increase sales.  The shoe store that smells like leather, the new car smell, fresh linen in a clothing store.  The list is endless.  Why, we have all heard of Aromatherapy – it will definitely affect your mood and your buyers mood.  

When you are selling your home, you are becoming a retailer.  The only difference is you have only 1 item to sell and it costs significantly more than what you buy in a store.  Take a minute and think about what would make you feel good when you walk into a home.  Would you like to smell wet dog, a litter box, onions cooking – probably not.  Since you come to your home everyday, you may not even notice an odor.  Instead, it is important to ask others what they are experiencing.  It should be part of your pre-listing evaluation and prep.  (hint: if your agent is not giving you an honest opinion and report of what it takes to get your home ready to sell, RUN and FIND SOMEONE ELSE, no amount of marketing will overcome a poorly prepared property.)

Once you have identified if there are any changes that need to be made, take care of getting rid of the odor, if it is a litter box, change it always, empty your trash cans every day before you leave for work and at the end of the day, before your go to bed.  


NOW COMES THE FUN PART!!!! 

Make a small investment in some of the plug in type of air fresheners and a variety of scents.  Just like different stores have different scents, so do different rooms.  Your kitchen could be vanilla or cinnamon, but maybe you want the bathroom to have more of a spa feel with spring rain or fresh linen.  Stay away from the strong floral scents and look for the scents that have universal appeal.  Have some fun and as an added benefit you get to enjoy until you sell.  Set them to a medium level so the scent is not overpowering.  Buy a few extra bottles.

 Here are a few other quick little tips:
* When it is open house time, bake some chocolate chip cookies before the opening.  You get the bonus of having whatever is leftover for yourself after the open house.
* Change your AC filter regularly to help keep the air fresh and remove dust
* Vacuum your home before showings, not only does it make the carpets look crisp and cushions fresh, but it helps filter the air (just make sure you have a clean bag and filter).
* Stay away from spray type air fresheners – they tend to be strong and overpowering at first, and then fade out quickly and have little effect.


Here is to the Sweet Smell of Success!!!!

If you would like more tips on selling your home email me at howard@voginteam.com or go to our Seller’s Resources section.

The Vogin Team is your one stop choice for all of your real estate needs. With over 10 years of experience in real estate we have the expertise and experience to give the professional service your desire. Whether you are looking to buy or sell a home in South Florida we can help you. Learn more at http://www.voginteam.com