Smart Scents

Nope, I did not misspell that word. I am talking about scents in this blog.

The first thing a buyer sees when visiting a home is curb appeal, from the surrounding neighbors to your front door; but what happens when the buyer opens the door? Before the brain registers what it is seeing, the nose has taken inventory. Your home has already made an impression on the buyer whether he/she realizes it or not.

The homes in our community usually show very well, have great curb appeal and are surrounded by natural beauty which makes showing a home to prospective buyers in Jackson Hole a pleasure for us. But, (yes, here it comes that all important “but”) but vacation homes and vacant homes often get a stale or musty odor. Occupied homes pick-up cooking and pet odors, (and teenager’s rooms are anybody’s guess).

A pleasant smell greeting a prospective buyer not only gives them a good first impression but can also make them feel “warm-n-fuzzy” as they enter your door. A welcoming aroma can make the buyer “see” your home as one they would want to live in.

Not everyone agrees on what smells are the most pleasant in a home, but for most buyers the smell of freshly baked cookies is a plus. Another scent the vast majority of people like are fragrances in the vanilla family such as butter cream or kitchen spice aromas such as cinnamon.

In the bathrooms you want a scent that reminds people of fresh and clean (not Lysol). Citrus based scents are a very good choice. Bedrooms also should have a clean and fresh smell; “fresh linen” is a very subtle and clean smell making it a good choice.

For occupied homes, a burning candle which gives off a scent or a simmering pot of potpourri seems to infuse homes best. If you are going to be away from your home or, if it is vacant for long periods of time, you can use an oil plug-in product or an oil ring that sits on a lighted bulb.

Flowers are always pleasant to see and smell. However, you don’t want your prospective buyer to think they are visiting a sick room.

Can you overdo when it comes to “scenting” your home? That would take a lot of fragrance and seldom happens. Most scent will stay in the room they are originated in.

“Scenting” a home is a well known and little used marketing tip. Step ahead of the crowd and take this little piece of advice from us, your Jackson Hole Real Estate experts.

Selling a home in Teton County? For current market conditions and how to best market a home, just give us a call and we will schedule a private consultation with you.