The Ottawa Citizen
Sweetsenses
Banish the onions
and tempt the eyes, nose and tastebuds
when selling your home
Dale Carnegie, North America's original
motivational speaker, made a fortune
extolling the virtues of first impressions
and getting it right from the get-go.
This philosophy applies to our human
interactions and it's also key in
our homes, especially when entertaining
and even more importantly, when selling
and hoping for a speedy sale.
While most of us do much of our judging
with our eyes, we also judge with
our noses. Again, entire industries
have been built around creating appealing
scents in the home; or masking nasty
smells with nicer ones.
But do prospective home buyers really
want to be hit with the cloying smell
of synthetic strawberry or lilac?
Probably not. And it might lead to
suspicion that there's something more
ominous being covered up.
So what are the best approaches for
creating a positive scent memory in
the minds or noses of would-be buyers?
To get the fresh goods, we contacted
realtors and florists.
Marilyn Wilson, of dreamproperties.com,
claims to have such a refined sense
of smell, she once told a prospective
buyer the home they were about to
look at had mould. She smelled it
as soon as they walked in and it was
confirmed after the prospective buyer
paid an environmental inspector $2,000
for a confirmation.
It's essential to do away with unpleasant
smells and OK to inject some pleasant
ones, says Ms. Wilson.
The successful agent, along with
long-time real estate colleagues Bill
Renaud, of Re/Max Metro-City Realty,
and Joan Smith, of Royal LePage Team
Realty, all suggest fresh, clean smells
help sell a property.
Mrs. Smith suggests opening the windows
if you can and using the air conditioning
in the summer. She recommends staying
away from anything that might cause
allergies among potential buyers.
That means baking peanut butter cookies
would be a no-no, as would using heavy
air-freshening sprays.
A fresh coat of paint not only makes
walls and baseboards look better,
it also smells clean and new, she
says. Pine-Sol cleaner in the sump
pump works wonders, as does bleach
in the bathroom, says Ms. Wilson.
But have a light hand with cleaning
agents, urge the realtors. You don't
want to overwhelm buyers with the
smell of cleaning agents.
"I tell people not to have any
strong odours," Mr. Renaud says,
adding sellers should get rid of cooking
odours. Cooking with strong spices
such as curry and deep-frying leaves
lingering smells that many buyers
will find offensive.
"The most important thing is
to have a clean and fresh scent,"
says Mrs. Smith.
Ms. Wilson is an advocate of apples
and vanilla. She suggests baking an
apple, at low temperature, in the
oven before a showing. For an extra
hit of appetizing sweetness, throw
on some vanilla and cinnamon. Baking
chocolate chip cookies just before
an open house is another yummy idea
-- just be sure not to burn them.
But limiting your cooking is best
because too many competing smells
will cause sensory overload. And cooking
anything like cabbage, garlic or onions
is clearly a mistake. They smell great
when you walk into a restaurant, but
they are a turnoff if you aren't sitting
down to a meal.
It's also important to pay attention
to unwelcome odours in the fridge,
says Ms. Wilson. Most prospective
buyers will open the fridge because
it's often included in the sale and
they want to see what they're buying.
If it doesn't smell fresh and clean,
they'll get the impression the house
is less than neat and tidy.
"Putting a box of baking soda
in the fridge isn't enough,"
says the veteran sales agent. "You
really need to clean your fridge --
top to bottom."
When it comes to flowers, Lyn Whyte,
co-ordinator and teacher of Algonquin
College's florist program, says they
offer a pleasing visual and can impart
a subtle scent.
"I think flowers are a good
investment if you're selling,"
Ms. Whyte says. "There are a
few flowers with nice scents such
as freesia."
It's best to buy cut flowers that
are all the same species and colour.
If you want a big arrangement, buy
a bouquet of fresh-cut white, yellow
or pink alstroemeria, or white freesia,
to create a mono-botanical bouquet.
If you have a series of glass dishes,
you can get creative with the mono-bouquets.
Buy a few white roses, some stems
of white freesia and white alstroemeria
and a handful of gerbera daisies and
create a series of bouquets to run
the length of the table.
But there are a few important things
to consider when using flowers. Placement
is one. Put them in prominent spots
to get the best bang for your buck.
A small table in an entryway works,
as does the dining room table. And
if you're going with cut flowers,
be sure to change the water daily,
says Ms. Whyte. Dirty water won't
impress prospective buyers.
"The first thing they'll see
is the dirty water and that creates
a negative impression," she says.
Another option is a European dish
garden, which combines assorted house
plants and African violets. Casual
and long-lasting, it won't give off
an overpowering scent, says Ms. Whyte.
Jane Oliver, a florist at Brown's
Better Flowers, says the only two
flowers she would avoid are lilies
(stargazers specifically) and hyacinth
because they both have a strong scent.
A big bunch of daisies are a welcoming
flower, she says, but you can't go
wrong with roses either. However,
roses are a more personal flower,
leaving daisies as the better choice
for a home showing.
© The Ottawa Citizen
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