Sell a Home

From the moment prospective buyers open your front door the home's scent can make or break the sale. Smell is incredibly emotive and could make the difference between someone liking and loving your house. Plus, you don't want an odor you've gone nose blind to prevent the sale of your home. Here are a few tips from our real estate agents on how to make a great first impression with your home's scent.

• Eliminate Unwanted Odor
  The very first thing you need to do is get rid of any unwanted odors lingering around your house, whether it's from mildew, dirty socks, or pets. Our noses are incredibly good at detecting when a scent is just trying to cover up an icky odor. Start by cleaning the house thoroughly. Shampoo the carpets if needed and replace any throw rugs. If your rugs don't need deep cleaning, or if you don't have time, you can deodorize your carpets and upholstery by sprinkling baking soda over them about 15 minutes before vacuuming. Don't forget to pay special attention to areas that tend to generate odors, such as the fridge and the kitchen sink, and make sure you take out the trash!
  
  
• Top it off with Soap
  Are you a hoarder of scented soap? Many people keep thoughtful gifts like these but never use them. Now is your chance! Unwrap these little soaps at last and leave them in the bathrooms, where they'll fill the small room with a light, clean fragrance.
  
  
• Add Essential Oils
  Many people have diffusers, which can be either fan-powered or something more subtle, such as reed diffusers. Be choosy about which scents you choose, though. Anything too perfumed may actually deter some people. Instead, opt for clean, fresh citrus or herbal scents. Try to stick with one scent throughout the entire house, as too many different smells can become overwhelming.
  
  
• Use Your Kitchen
  If you're not an essential oils type of person, don't feel like you have to go out and invest in a bunch of stuff you'll never use again. Your kitchen provides everything you need to create welcoming and lasting scents. One option is to use a simmer pot recipe to scent your home with nothing more than boiling water and a concoction of herbs and other scents. For instance, citrus, vanilla, and cinnamon are common ingredients in simmer pot recipes. If you have the time, though, the absolute best way to make your house smell good is to bake something! Bonus points if you bake something you can leave out for prospective buyers, such as cookies.
  
  
• Don't Forget the Nooks and Crannies
  Remember, when people browse Boise homes for sale, they like to look inside closets and cabinets. Don't forget to clean and freshen these areas too! Clean out all your cabinets and make sure there are no mildewy odors lurking there. You can also leave sachets of lavender or blocks of cedar in your closets and drawers for a fresh, clean fragrance if someone happens to open them up.

When you stage your home for sale, it's important to consider how it'll appeal to the senses. Most real estate advice focuses on making the house look good, but good smells can also be a powerful incentive for a buyer! To find out more about how to stage your home for a successful sale, contact us today.

Man's best friend does make for a good housemate, but unfortunately, not so much of a great real estate agent. Pets are an interesting element of the real estate process. Many of the buyers attending a showing may love animals and even have pets themselves. However, that doesn't mean that they're crazy about moving into a new home that has lingering traces of cats, dogs, or other animals. There are also those who do not like animals and aren't particularly interested in purchasing a home that once housed pets. If you're a pet owner, our real estate agents suggest these tips on how to prepare for a successful showing:

• Step 1: Find a place for your pet.
  You definitely need to find a temporary place for your pets. First, ask your neighbors if they can watch your animal for a few hours. If they cannot, consider taking the animal to a friend or family member's house or a pet sitting service.
  
  
• Step 2: Remove evidence of pets.
  As you prepare to stage your home, you'll need to remove all evidence of your animals. Before thinking about cleaning or damages, first, focus on physical items that either belong to your pets or represent your pets. Water and food bowls, beds and furniture, toys, and supplies, all of these items should be stored away. You may also want to remove any photos or décor that may alert prospective buyers to the fact that you share your space with an animal.
  
  
• Step 3: Repair all damages inside.
  It's best to take care of any repairs in the home before cleaning so that you can ensure the whole home is completely clean. Go around each room and seek out damages from your pet. Keep an eye out for claw marks on the floors or furniture, wall marks where pets or their furniture rub, carpet stains, and hair clumps under furniture. If you can, throw away and replace heavily used spots like area rugs.
  
  
• Step 4: Professionally deep clean your home.
  Though it should go without saying, you should always invest in a professional cleaning service to make your home sparkle. If you have pets, choose a cleaning service that knows how to combat animal odors and debris. Some scents may be imperceptible to the human nose, while some pet dander can linger even after a good dusting. An experienced cleaning company specializing in pets will make your home look, feel, and smell like no animals are on the lease.
  
  
• Step 5: Repair all damages outside.
  Now that your interior has been taken care of, it's time to focus on the exterior. Many pet owners don't notice just how much of their outdoor space receive wear and tear from pets. Fill all holes in the yard and clean up any "presents" left behind. Remove all outdoor pet toys or furniture. Fix any areas where damage may be noticeable, such as scratch marks on a wooden fence or bite marks on any outdoor human furniture.

A pet is a wonderful guest to have in your home, but you should also understand why buyers may not be wagging their tails at the thought of sharing the same space. Contact us today for more pet-proof staging advice before listing your property alongside our Boise homes for sale.