Houses That Smell Won't Sell Well
The importance of not only a clean, but clean smelling house can't be overemphasized while your house in on the market. First impressions are vital with Prospective Buyers. It's easy to spend weeks preparing your house for market, but you would be amazed at the folks who don't give a second thought to the way it smells. We have had Buyers who refused to enter homes with strong odors, despite the fact that the house fit all their needs.
The top odors that are compalined about are : cigarette, cigar, cat litter boxes, dogs and trash. As you can see all of these are fixable, but try telling a Buyer that as they are walking back to the car ! We regularly deal with individuals who are very sensitive to the point of actually being alergic.
I know this can be tough, but choosing to smoke outside the home while your home is on the market can make a big difference. Cleaning the litter box frequently and if possible have it in some out-of-the-way place. If possible removing the pets from the home for showings can be a big plus. Last, but certainly not least~ take the trash out !
Merely "covering up" odors with sweet scents generally won't cut it. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news ! If you have spots on carpet from pets ~ you can bet they have odors, Giving these spots attention will not only help the appearance, but help to eliminate the offensive odor.
Just a little elbow grease will help your home to sell not only quicker, but generally for more money. It amazes me how many people will make comments about a "smelly" house and in the same sentence say "it will need lots of work". More times than not, it will be one of the nicer homes n the tour, but the Prospective Buyer(s) just can't get around the smell and their association of lack of maintenance.