Sniffing Out a Selling Obstacle
Lingering odors may be the biggest hindrance a seller faces. Here's how to clean up your act
By Paul Rogers CTW Features

Numerous research studies suggest a strong link between odor and emotion, memory and mood. So it should come as no surprise that a home's aroma plays a major role in its appeal during the sales process. Bad smell equals bad home showing

Trouble is, too many people have a misguided notion about what types of smells maximize appeal, while others simply have no idea that their home is, well, olfactory-challenged. Real estate experts say wake up and smell the coffee.

"It's pretty easy to overlook bad odors when you have been living with them for years, but potential buyers are not going to miss a thing," says Dana Frank, a Los Angeles-based RE/ MAX real estate agent. "Assume that if you have pets, your house is not odor-free."

Assume that if you smoke, cook cabbage, fish or onions, or pretty much just live in a home, your house has a particular scent or, more likely, scents - plural. You might not realize it, but they're there.

"My daughter walked into my house and said I needed to empty the cat litter box. And I did [need to empty it], but I didn't smell it." says Donna Freeman, a California based real estate expert who, with her daughter Shannon Freeman, co-authored "Seven Steps to Sold" (Three Rivers Press, 2007) and currently co-host HGTV's "Secrets That Sell." "Bring an objective nose into your home and be very honest with yourself. If it happens to me, it can happen to anybody."

The consequences: If you show a property that smells, "buyers just rush through," says Shannon Freeman.

After identifying an odor, look for its source. The No. 1 rule of odor removal is don't try to cover up a bad smell with baking cookies or flowery potpourris. "Buyers know that trick inside out," says Frank. "Figure out the problem and actually clean it up."

Musty or moldy odors could indicate water leaks, burned wood odor a poorly maintained fireplace, natural gas a leak.

"A colony of bats in the attic has a very pungent odor," says Reggie Marston, president of Residential Equity Management Home Inspections, Springfield, Va. "If I walk in and the house smells like a florist shop, then I know the listing agent got there early and plugged in all the air fresheners, so I know I have to start looking harder because they're trying to cover something up."

Inexpensive potpourri and air fresheners can become part of the problem. If you use a commercial product, choose one that neutralizes odors rather than attempting to hide them. If you use a scent at all, the Freemans suggest a subtler one, such as a fresh linen.

The better option is the simple-sounding one: clean. Most odors come from lack of proper cleaning and maintenance and can be remedied by regular soap and water treatment, particularly in the kitchen. Any appliances that touch food can easily harbor odors if not cleaned regularly.

Clean the garbage disposal, especially under the food guard, where food splatter can stick and stink. Wipe with soapy water and a sponge. Then run ice in the disposal so leftover grease solidifies and washes away. Marston suggest following it all up with some lemon.

He offers similar tips for the stove, exhaust fan (remove filters and clean with dish detergent, although if the fan blades and motor are coated, they might need to be replaced) and dishwasher (pay special attention to the gasket, where "crud" can accumulate).

"If they leave the trash can under the sink like 95 percent of the homes I inspect, that can stink to high heaven" says Marston. "Take everything out from under the sink and wash down the inside of the cabinet with just soap and water. Leave the doors open a few days to air out."

A little elbow grease goes a long way for food smells, but when the problem is cigarettes, the effort and costs start to rise.

"Cigarette smoke is easy," says Vena Jones-Cox, a real estate broker and host of NPR's "Real Life Real Estate Investing." "Two coats of a good primer … plus the removal of the carpet and the draperies usually takes care of it."

That may not sound "easy" to some, but compared to other odors, it's like pouring a bag of potpourri in a bowl.

"Dampness and pet odors are the real problem," says Jones- Cox. "I've never found a commercial product that will fully eliminate a bad pet odor problem, and a damp smell usually indicates a plumbing or roof leak - and often a mold infestation in the walls that will require major surgery to remove."

Jones-Cox tells of a home she purchased that had been rented to a tenant who literally never let her dog outside. She first removed the carpet and padding, then some of the drywall. The stench remained.

"We treated the floors with the most effective commercial odor remover we've seen. Still, the stink hung on," she says. "Ultimately, we ended up removing large sections of the wood floor and subfloor, treating the joists with [primer] Kilz, putting down new plywood, sealing that and then recarpeting."

The total tab: $5,000. And that's only the mid-range cost. Jones- Cox buys bargain homes, many with odor problems that require up to $10,000 to fix.

The best way to ensure your home does not have serious odor problems is to head them off before they begin. Keep the air moving with ceiling fans and air purifiers and, if possible, open windows frequently.

"Newer homes are so well insulated that odors sometimes are trapped because of the lack of drafts that run through older homes," says Mark Shaw, a RE/MAX agent in northern California's East Bay area. "These 'airtight' dwellings can also foster a safe haven for mold."

More importantly, just keep things clean. Change garbage bags frequently, and don't let foods like onions and garlic stay too long in the trash. Those odors permeate easily, says Shaw. "They are deadly to the resale value of your home."