Written by Lori Auerbach, Realtor | Vanderblue Team | Higgins Group Real Estate
Chances are if you are currently occupying your home you may not be aware of any odors. Your sensory system just becomes so accustom to the smell you don’t notice it. But you can be certain that buyers will instantly pick up on aromas and that will likely skew their first impression of your home.
The first line of attack is usually to dash over to Home Depot to buy an array of room deodorizers, which often times just, adds another layer of “fragrance” to your home. Your goal is start fresh!
Let me preface any recommendations by stressing that every home needs to be thoroughly cleaned from attic to basement prior to being marketed for sale. If you are not able to do the cleaning there are cleaning services that can get the job done. Wall to wall carpet should be steam cleaned as part of this initial cleaning.
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7. Bathrooms Bathrooms need to be ventilated at all times to prevent mold and mildew from forming. If you don’t have a fan in your bathroom then open a window. |
8. Seldom used rooms If you have rooms that you don’t use often, like a guest room, bathroom or basement bonus room, go in, open the windows, run the water and flush the toilet. You can also place bowls of baking soda or white vinegar in these rooms and even in closets. A stale room isn’t inviting and you want potential buyers to see the value of every room! |
9. Vacant Homes For an empty home, have it thoroughly cleaned, including the walls. Placing bowls of baking soda or white vinegar in several locations throughout the home. If you are not in the same location as your empty property ask your Realtor to drop by once a week to open the windows for an hour or so. |
10. The BEST Odor Eliminator Lastly, when all else fails and you need to bring out the big guns there’s a product manufactured by Biocide Systems called Room Shocker Odor Eliminator which uses chlorine dioxide. Colleagues have said this product works wonders at eliminating the most stubborn odors. The manufacture states “chlorine dioxide (CI02) is a potent odor-eliminating gas with strong oxidizing properties. An “oxidizing agent” removes electrons from reactive molecules. By this process, ClO2 uses oxygen to break up the odor quickly & neutralizes it.” This product costs $24.95 and is environmentally friendly and non-toxic. I’ve only found it available through the manufacturers website : www.biocidesystems.com |
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