"If you can Smell it YOU cant Sell IT!"

If you can Smell it YOU cant Sell it!

I bought my house a little over a year ago. When i was looking for homes I looked online before ever calling my Realtor to take me out to see it. I knew I wanted to be in a certain school district. In my area there is not many to choose from, especially at the time.  I was very excited about a particular home, especially driving by it! The neighborhood was great! It was less than 1.5 miles from the schools! I was pumped! I called my Realtor very excited about this all brick home in the perfect neighborhood! Yes i did see the photos online and yes it would need painted but I was ready to make the offer after driving by and seeing photos online!

We went the next day to see this house and it had already been dropped in price by more than 25k. Of course "things weren't moving right?" or  "The  listing agent had it overpriced in the first place?" I walked up to the door so excited!

THEN all at once BAM!!!!!! I was so upset as we walked in the front door! The lingering smell of SMOKE just slapped me in the face. I was so glad I did not have my kids with me because 2 of them are very allergic to cigarette smoke. I couldn't believe the smell , especially since the house was only about 10 years old! Obviously I never made the offer on this "perfect" home. We moved into our home about a year later and guess what, it was 2 houses down from the "smoke" house.  The house was still on the market with many price reductions. :(

A little more than a year has gone by and that "smoke" house finally sold! The price came down from the original, almost 75k and finally sold to someone who I believe is now fixing it up to rent it out. 

My point is this! This house was great! It looked great in pictures, It looked great driving by! But the second I walked in it  I knew it was not my home! I could not get past the smell.

As a Stager my job is to talk to sellers about these things. I believe 100% that had this seller known that he would have his house sit on the market for almost 3 years and have that many price reductions he would have taken the steps BEFORE putting it on the market to take care of the odor! His house would have sold a long time before it did and I may even be the one living in it! 

The same exact things can apply to any strong odors! Pets, foods, molds and musty smells and so on and so forth.

The cost to take care of these odors before listing can save you thousands in price reductions and frustrations! 

Don't let the Smell of your home on the market cost you like it did this now neighbor of mine!

I can come in and make your house look beautiful to appeal to  every buyer on the MLS photos , but if they walk in and are hit in the face with a strong odor they WILL most likely walk away from it or offer you a lot less money for it!

Tomorrows post will give you some good tips on how to take care of these odors before you list your home! Stay Tuned..........

And remember " If you can Smell it YOU cant Sell IT"

Shari- Staged Above!