Does the aroma of fresh-baked cookies or the clean scent of fresh laundry remind you of the comforts of home? If you answered yes, you have experienced a key element to selling your home. That element is the feeling of walking into your home and being surrounded by the scents, sights, and sounds that say – welcome home!
As any good real estate agent will inform his or her client, location and condition of a property are both extremely important; however, do not discount how feelings can sway a prospective buyer. Entering a well-maintained home where the walls have been freshly painted, the carpets are spot-free, and the solid surfaces sparkle, the buyer can interpret that the hard work has already been done. Smelling cookies baking in the oven add the proverbial cherry on top.
Another household scent to consider is pet odor. Owning a pet can bring great joy into a home, but owning a pet can also mean pet odor. Do not try to mask the pet odor by simply spraying a room deodorizer before opening the door to a prospective buyer. Masking an odor is not the same as removing the odor. Make sure pets are frequently bathed and their bedding is also frequently cleaned or replaced. Remember to clean up all pet stains, perform pet repairs around door facings and windows, and stow away all pet toys and clutter.
Lighting is another important element for home staging. Let natural light into your space. Open the window blinds and remove curtains. This pro tip allows for additional light which heightens the mood of any room. As a seller, if you have already done all the hard work to make your home shine, why not show it off. In addition, curtains are specific to the seller’s style and taste. The style may not fit with the style of the prospective buyer. In the same regard, storing away family collectibles, pictures, and mementos will provide a blank canvas for the buyer to imagine his or her own personal items in the space.
Put away all small appliances and countertop clutter neatly into kitchen cabinets or drawers. This tip highlights the counter space. Another tip that many agents swear by is placing a bowl of lemons on the counter in a clutter-free kitchen. The lemons add a pop of color and a feeling of freshness. Who knew? Add a bag of fresh lemons to the grocery list or pick up some plastic replicas.
When all the cleaning, repairing, and painting is complete, invite family or friends over to walk through as potential buyers. Do not reveal the changes you have made in advance. Let your “potential buyers” give you feedback. Last, but not least, don’t forget the fresh scent of baking cookies. You can share the plate of cookies while learning how well you did in preparing your home to market. Creating the most inviting home environment, or in other words, “selling a feeling” can turn a potential buyer into a new homeowner.