As you prepare to show your home, there are a number of important tasks that must be done. It's essential to thoroughly clean and declutter each room before potential buyers tour the house.
You should also make sure your property looks good from the outside. This provides curb appeal, which helps draw people into your home.
Many sellers understand they have to focus on all of the above goals to get their houses ready. However, there is another key detail that needs to be addressed and is often forgotten: odors.
When you live in a house for a while, it's easy to get used to how it may smell. The problem is your house could contain certain scents that might offend an otherwise serious buyer.
The good news is you can prevent this kind of a deal breaker. All it takes is a bit of legwork and some smell detectors.
Your house's odors can come from a number of different sources. Pet smells, cigarette smoke and even strong spices you've used in your cooking can comingle within a home.
The trick is to neutralize these smells so that a prospective buyer is unable to sense them.
When it comes to the scent of pets, make sure to give your furry friends a bath before any showings. Also, buy clumping cat litter and scoop it every day to get rid of the waste. You may want to steam clean your carpets and upholstery to eliminate these smells, too.
Prior to scheduled showings, make sure to remove your pets and any litter boxes from your home. You may have the cutest animals, but most buyers would rather not have to deal with an owner's pets while looking at a property.
Like pet smells, cigarette smoke can be really noticeable to an interested homebuyer. This stench is especially difficult because it attaches to walls, surfaces, upholstery and clothing.
You can minimize its presence by cleaning all surfaces with vinegar, washing drapery and steam cleaning carpets and upholstery. In addition, you may want to open up the windows to air out your home before any potential buyers come over.
Because smoke can cling to the walls, it may be wise to repaint your rooms as well. This will not only cover up the smells that may have gotten into the paint, it will also freshen up the entire feel of your house.
If you can still smell cigarette smoke even after taking these steps, you might want to look into hiring a fire/smoke restoration firm that uses an Ozone machine to erase this aroma.
For cooking odors, a small bowl of white vinegar near the stove can absorb these scents. Then even the smell of burned popcorn from your microwave won't continue to hang around.
Finally, you might invite a third party to come through your house and see if any smells stand out. These odor detectors can let you know whether or not more work needs to be done to eradicate certain aromas before actual buyers walk in the door.
It's often a challenge to erase long-standing odors from your home. But if you're able to neutralize them, you're on your way to making your house all the more attractive to prospective buyers.
There's always a lot to do before putting your Summit County home on the market. But that's why I'm here to help you. Feel free to contact me with any questions so that I can provide whatever guidance you need during this process.
If you're interested in purchasing a property in Summit County, check out the latest listings on my website. Then we can discuss the homes that look like a good fit for you and your family.
You may also have certain questions or concerns that are addressed in my Kelli Sells Blog. So take a look and then contact me at your convenience.