With the changing of the seasons, so too come changing wardrobes, meal planning, and home décor. The cooler temps have us digging through our closets seeking out a favorite sweater, plugging in the crockpot to cook up yummy soups and stews, and riffling through the garage to find the front door fall wreath. Our senses are revved up and ready for what’s to come.

 

Speaking of senses, how about the awakening of certain smells with the changing of the seasons? Pumpkin, cinnamon and ginger spice and everything nice seem to rouse from their long slumber. There’s something about those scents that exude nesting and family, and awaken the cozy factor naturally built into our DNA.

If you happen to be selling your home this time of year, you may feel compelled to comply with the natural scents of the season. However, research has shown that complex smells may actually deter people from buying your home as it may distract potential buyers.

A recent article in homesandland.com had this to say:

Eric Spangenberg, Dean of the College of Business at Washington State University, has spent years studying the effect of smell on buying behavior. He says complex scents — such as the intermingled chocolate and vanilla of fresh-baked chocolate-chip cookies — are distracting. They plain make our brains work too hard trying to figure them out. Spangenberg knows of what he speaks. His research published in the Journal of Retailing shows that sales in retail stores are lower when complex scents are present.

While homes aren’t retail stores, home buyers are buyers, and their behavior can be affected by smells. Spangenberg told the Chicago Tribune in December 2012: “I’ve noticed in some homes for sale that they will scent with a potpourri blend that may be very pleasant, but it’s just too complex. … There are too many scents in potpourri.”

Sales in Spangenberg’s study were higher when a store had no scent at all. But the study found sales to be highest when a simple scent was in the air.

So what smells can help sell you home?

  • Orange
  • Lemon
  • Pine
  • Basil
  • Cedar
  • Vanilla
  • Cinnamon

 

“When you’re in the real estate business, you want someone to walk in and want to stay in the house, so you want (the scent) not to be overbearing, but familiar. You want it to encourage revisiting, because sometimes it takes several visits to decide to buy,” Spangenberg told the Chicago Tribune.

And if you’re stuck on baking, he suggests, skip the chocolate chips or anything gourmet in favor of a simply scented cinnamon bun.

Things that are clean smell clean!

The deep house cleaning that prepares a home for sale is also going to improve its scent profile. However, be careful that your efforts do not leave the house reeking of ammonia, bleach or any strongly scented cleaner. Using well-chosen products, you’ll freshen up the air when you:

  • Wash all bed covers and wash or dry-clean drapes
  • Have the carpet cleaned or, if necessary, replaced
  • Mop hard-surface floors with a lightly scented or unscented cleaner
  • Scrub the bathrooms top to bottom, again being careful to use lightly scented cleaners or to allow time for the room to air out
  • Store old shoes in plastic boxes with lids
  • Wash pet bedding
  • If possible, move pet paraphernalia and litter boxes to a garage or otherwise away from main living areas

The moral of the story? Though you may want to get caught up in the season with décor and scents, remember when selling your house not everybody may share in your enthusiasm, so Keep It Simple!

Sources:

http://www.homesandland.com/real-tips/smell-can-help-sell-your-home/