Selling your home can be a headache. Independent of the big decision to move, finding a new home, packing all of your belongings, you still need to go through the process of selling your home (perhaps it’s best we call it a house - detachment technique😉). According to UK news outlet The Daily Mail, buying and selling your house “is more stressful than bankruptcy, divorce and even the death of a loved-one”.
When Showing Your House - Lights, Mop, Action
Lighting is something that needs to be discussed. The best scenario is that the potential buyer (fingers crossed) comes midday and all of the window shades are up (windows sparkling of course) with the lights on. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Real estate agents are known to come at any hour, day or night. If a house is viewed when it’s dark out you need to ensure proper lighting. If you don’t have sufficient lighting there is a definite possibility that you should run (not walk) and get some lights. Nothing too obvious or out of place, a couple of lamps for a side table and some standing corner lamps. Make sure the lightbulbs are consistent from room to room, otherwise you run the risk of giving potential buyers a headache and ruin the ambiance. Both bad situations.
Obviously, cleanliness is a given. Your house has got to be spotless - so immaculate that when the agent brings prospective buyers through your house, they won’t believe that you actually live there.
The Power of Scent
Now we are going to move deeper into the subconscious - smell. One real estate agency claims to have made millions within weeks after changing the scent in the homes they were selling. Jonathan Cranley, Head of Marketing at Millgate said: “We do believe scent is a powerful way to connect on emotional and memorable levels with our customers, forging a greater association when a buyer first walks into a home.” A great tip is to burn scented candles about 30 minutes before an expected visit. You should extinguish the candles at least 10 minutes before visitors walk in the door. Don’t choose scents that are too strong or overwhelming. 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 make our brains work too hard trying to figure them out. The study found sales to be highest when a simple scent was in the air. Consider the consistency of your scent, for example you don’t want the smell of pine in a house that has no wood in it. Break it down to 3 rules:
- Keep it simple
- Keep it consistent
- Keep it light
Scents That Boost The Value Of Your Home
Lemon - Citrus is a fantastic option. It’s quiet yet refreshing and connotes cleanliness. Perfect for a modern open air style home, you can’t lose with lemon!
Coffee - According to Millgate, coffee is the best scent for selling older homes, so if you’re trying to sell an older home read no further. Really, just stop reading now.
Cinnamon - An oldie but goodie, cinnamon is the classic comfort scent. It’s best not to use cinnamon in the summer months because of its strong winter holiday association.
Citrus and Basil - Simple, recognizable scents such as citrus have been found to be very desirable to buyers. Especially when combined with basil, the ultimate unique yet calm and familiar smell.
Lavender - A personal favorite, lavender is simply perfection! There is much to say about perfection, but I will say that this faint flowery smell would make me buy your house (and I don’t need a house)!
Last Word
“A good fragrance is really a powerful cocktail of memories and emotion.”