Home Staging Tips for a Quick Sale
August 18, 2015 4:48 PM Subscribe
I'm going to list my home for sale in the next few weeks and I'd like to sell it as quickly as possible. What are home staging tips and tricks that worked for you?
Home staging hacks or even what NOT to do would be appreciated. If it matters, I'm selling a 2 BDRM, 1 BA rancher (1976) in the 150-200K range in a small town in NC. Thanks as always.
Home staging hacks or even what NOT to do would be appreciated. If it matters, I'm selling a 2 BDRM, 1 BA rancher (1976) in the 150-200K range in a small town in NC. Thanks as always.
Declutter. Declutter. Declutter.
posted by Sassyfras at 5:00 PM on August 18, 2015 [9 favorites]
posted by Sassyfras at 5:00 PM on August 18, 2015 [9 favorites]
What worked for us was hiring a professional stager and letting them do whatever they wanted. It wasn't very expensive, and the house looked better than it ever did when we lived in it (we half joked that for our next house we should just hire a stager to tell us how to decorate it).
posted by primethyme at 5:04 PM on August 18, 2015 [9 favorites]
posted by primethyme at 5:04 PM on August 18, 2015 [9 favorites]
Make sure every closet door slides smoothly and every cabinet closes.
Get bright color accent pillows for the photos. They really make the photos pop.
Replace the switch plate and the outlet plate covers. A pack of 10 is 5 bucks and they are held on by one screw. Dirty, yellowed plates make the house look dirty and unkept.
Declutter. You are moving anyway.
posted by 26.2 at 5:04 PM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
Get bright color accent pillows for the photos. They really make the photos pop.
Replace the switch plate and the outlet plate covers. A pack of 10 is 5 bucks and they are held on by one screw. Dirty, yellowed plates make the house look dirty and unkept.
Declutter. You are moving anyway.
posted by 26.2 at 5:04 PM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
Remove all photos of family if possible. Many buyers subconsciously feel alienated when they see heavily personalised homes during an open house -- it prevents them from visualizing themselves in the home and making an offer.
posted by Hermione Granger at 5:07 PM on August 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Hermione Granger at 5:07 PM on August 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
Have you ever seen Sell This House? There's a lot of tips on that show, but the key is, as above, declutter, depersonalize, look for a Pottery Barn kind of bland aesthetic.
posted by suelac at 5:09 PM on August 18, 2015
posted by suelac at 5:09 PM on August 18, 2015
Oh, do you have pets of any kind? Start airing your house out every day a week in advance of your showings if possible. Pet odor is a huge detractor for a lot of people.
posted by Hermione Granger at 5:11 PM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Hermione Granger at 5:11 PM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
Get rid of half the stuff in your closets so they look bigger. It's a good opportunity to do a purge, but anything you actually want to keep can be stored under your bed where buyers won't be looking.
No magazines or mail on tabletops, no dishes in the sink, no food on the countertops (exception for big bowls of fruit). It should look like people could - but don't actually - live there, so it should look like a blank slate as much as possible. Think about how a nice hotel room looks when you first walk in - a bit sterile but comfortable.
posted by gatorae at 5:17 PM on August 18, 2015
No magazines or mail on tabletops, no dishes in the sink, no food on the countertops (exception for big bowls of fruit). It should look like people could - but don't actually - live there, so it should look like a blank slate as much as possible. Think about how a nice hotel room looks when you first walk in - a bit sterile but comfortable.
posted by gatorae at 5:17 PM on August 18, 2015
The most important thing we did was move everything we could stand to live without for a few weeks into a storage space.
We also got a cheap set of fancy looking plates from TJ Maxx and set the table for four whenever someone was coming to look at our house, with flowers in a vase at the center of the table. Not expensive flowers, either- they were cheap daisies with glitter on them from the supermarket, but they went with the place settings. I also put out an assortment of little jars with sand in the bottom and tea lights in them. Not expensive, but nice looking.
Because I am a little weird and obsessive, I also arranged the books on our bookshelves (what was left of them after we put most in storage) to look good in terms of color/shape of arrangement instead of by category like I usually keep them. This was probably not worth the effort, but it did look nicer than before.
Other than that, it was mostly making sure everything was really clean all the time- no dirty dishes in the sink, no visible laundry in the bedroom, trash taken out if it was even thinking about smelling, lawn mowed, house swept, cat litter area cleaned immediately before vacating the house for the showing, etc.
posted by Adridne at 5:20 PM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
We also got a cheap set of fancy looking plates from TJ Maxx and set the table for four whenever someone was coming to look at our house, with flowers in a vase at the center of the table. Not expensive flowers, either- they were cheap daisies with glitter on them from the supermarket, but they went with the place settings. I also put out an assortment of little jars with sand in the bottom and tea lights in them. Not expensive, but nice looking.
Because I am a little weird and obsessive, I also arranged the books on our bookshelves (what was left of them after we put most in storage) to look good in terms of color/shape of arrangement instead of by category like I usually keep them. This was probably not worth the effort, but it did look nicer than before.
Other than that, it was mostly making sure everything was really clean all the time- no dirty dishes in the sink, no visible laundry in the bedroom, trash taken out if it was even thinking about smelling, lawn mowed, house swept, cat litter area cleaned immediately before vacating the house for the showing, etc.
posted by Adridne at 5:20 PM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
Remove anything that personalizes your home--family photos, diplomas, trophies. Clean, uncluttered surfaces. You want people to be able to envision their stuff in the house.Remove anything that's especially odd or funky in terms of decor--neutral is your friend! When I was house hunting I couldn't get my mind past the larger than life bust of Elvis in one house--it may have been a great house but that thing overshadowed everything else!
posted by bookmammal at 5:43 PM on August 18, 2015
posted by bookmammal at 5:43 PM on August 18, 2015
Not a recent seller but a recent buyer: For gods sakes people make sure your locks work properly. At least half the properties I looked at required at least a minute of jiggling the key in the deadbolt to get it to open. If a buyer has to work just to get into your home they're not going to be as receptive to buying your home.
posted by nathan_teske at 5:59 PM on August 18, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by nathan_teske at 5:59 PM on August 18, 2015 [4 favorites]
I had my house on the market three years ago. I got multiple offers the first day it was on the market. I took it off the market and the short story is that there wasn't enough inventory that I was happy with and I stayed put. Here is what I did and I think it helped tremendously with getting offers.
1. Rented a storage unit and stored personal items and bulky items there. Get rid of everything on kitchen counters except a bowl of fruit. You want to show that you have maximum counter space. If you have a giant kitchen you may want to leave a few matching canisters, or a cookbook on a stand, or a plant so it doesn't look too barren. If you have framed family photos, any other personal mementos, nude or provacotive art, exercise equipment or anything that isn't suited for the room, store it. Keep art on the walls that would appeal to a wide audience.
2. Stage your rooms the way the were intended. A dining table and chairs should be in the dining room, beds should be in bedrooms.
3. I painted all of my living room walls a light beige color. I believe it was Sherwin Williams Softer Tan. Home Depot paint department matched it. You can bring them any color -- the swatch number - and they can produce it for you. Here are some images of Softer Tan. I would be sure all rooms were neutral in color, or at least universally appealing and not bold. I was selling a three-bedroom, two-bath. Two bedrooms were a sage green and the other was a light gray-blue. We didn't paint these because they were neutral enough to pass. My kitchen was a butter yellow and that stayed, too.
4. Make sure everything is clean and in working order. A lot of people are looking for move-in ready and not interested in repairs. Scrub everything clean. Grout should be clean. Replace caulking in bathroom if need be. Repair nicks and holes in walls and touch up with paint if you're not going to repaint entire wall. Consider repainting baseboards and trim if they need it. Make sure all of your screens are in good repair without holes and that your windows and doors open and close smoothly. Make sure your doorbell works. Wash windows inside and out. Clean your ceiling fans and light fixtures and on top of cabinets. Wash your cabinets and walls in kitchen. As your enter your house, view it as an outsider. Think of everything. If it doesn't work or look pristine, fix it. I had a couple little stains on my Corian bathroom countertop and we sanded them out.
5. Buy new towels and shower curtains and dishtowels. Get rid of any grungy bath mats or kitchen mats. Don't display old or dirty potholders or dishtowels or any linen or bedspread that doesn't look great. I bought new white towels for my bathrooms. Bring them out when someone wants to come see your house.
6. Display a couple houseplants in tasteful ceramic pots. They bring life to the house. There is an appearance that the house is well-cared for if there are alive and healthy plants inside. I had an orchid plant in a white pot in each bathroom. Example.
7. Get rid of all clutter everywhere. No shaving cream or blowdryers or q-tips on the bathroom counters. If you have displays of collectibles, get rid of them. Ask yourself, "Would a model home have this?"
8. Pay attention to your entryway and curb appeal. Lawn should be mowed. If needed, pressure wash your driveway, sidewalks, porch, etc. Remulch, plant some colorful flowers in groupings of 3-5 at front of house. Entry should be inviting. Keep it simple. A clean rug, a mirror, maybe a lamp if you don't have an overhead light in your entry, a houseplant or an attractive bowl on the entry table .
9. Turn on every light in the house during showings. Open the curtains if you have a nice view.
10. Kitchen. Make sure it's pristine clean. I bought a blue and white bowl and filled it with lemons. Very appealing look. I placed it on my kitchen counter. It could also go in the center of your kitchen table, or a vase of flowers. Green apples look good, too.
11. Besides my white towels, I also kept new, clean bedspreads in linen closet and whipped those out to make fresh beds when people were viewing the house. If you buy new towels and linens, white towels and white waffle-weave shower curtains look very hotel spa like. Cheerful colors look good in the kitchen in small doses -- lemon yellow, apple green, orange, etc. Try to match colors (example: if you leave yellow kitchen canisters on the kitchen counter buy matching yellow flowers or dishtowels to display). People are drawn to little pops of color.
12. People are drawn to symmetry. Two throw pillows at each end of couch. Matching table lamps on each end table, flanking the couch. If you have differing lamps, try to match shades. It looks more pleasing.
13. Bonus: Consider giving your house a lux vibe with high end products. People are drawn to that kind of thing and some people are looking to buy a lifestyle. People are going to look in your pantry. Clear all clutter out of your pantry and cabinets. If you have a pantry, place fancy unopened jars of jams, chutney, olives, etc. and crackers inside shallow whicker baskets. Those gourmet type foods can be found at HomeGoods and Marshall's type places for cheap. Place Herbs of Provence on your stovetop and one bottle of unopened dish soap from Williams Sonoma or Myers Clean Day on your sink.
posted by Fairchild at 6:19 PM on August 18, 2015 [25 favorites]
1. Rented a storage unit and stored personal items and bulky items there. Get rid of everything on kitchen counters except a bowl of fruit. You want to show that you have maximum counter space. If you have a giant kitchen you may want to leave a few matching canisters, or a cookbook on a stand, or a plant so it doesn't look too barren. If you have framed family photos, any other personal mementos, nude or provacotive art, exercise equipment or anything that isn't suited for the room, store it. Keep art on the walls that would appeal to a wide audience.
2. Stage your rooms the way the were intended. A dining table and chairs should be in the dining room, beds should be in bedrooms.
3. I painted all of my living room walls a light beige color. I believe it was Sherwin Williams Softer Tan. Home Depot paint department matched it. You can bring them any color -- the swatch number - and they can produce it for you. Here are some images of Softer Tan. I would be sure all rooms were neutral in color, or at least universally appealing and not bold. I was selling a three-bedroom, two-bath. Two bedrooms were a sage green and the other was a light gray-blue. We didn't paint these because they were neutral enough to pass. My kitchen was a butter yellow and that stayed, too.
4. Make sure everything is clean and in working order. A lot of people are looking for move-in ready and not interested in repairs. Scrub everything clean. Grout should be clean. Replace caulking in bathroom if need be. Repair nicks and holes in walls and touch up with paint if you're not going to repaint entire wall. Consider repainting baseboards and trim if they need it. Make sure all of your screens are in good repair without holes and that your windows and doors open and close smoothly. Make sure your doorbell works. Wash windows inside and out. Clean your ceiling fans and light fixtures and on top of cabinets. Wash your cabinets and walls in kitchen. As your enter your house, view it as an outsider. Think of everything. If it doesn't work or look pristine, fix it. I had a couple little stains on my Corian bathroom countertop and we sanded them out.
5. Buy new towels and shower curtains and dishtowels. Get rid of any grungy bath mats or kitchen mats. Don't display old or dirty potholders or dishtowels or any linen or bedspread that doesn't look great. I bought new white towels for my bathrooms. Bring them out when someone wants to come see your house.
6. Display a couple houseplants in tasteful ceramic pots. They bring life to the house. There is an appearance that the house is well-cared for if there are alive and healthy plants inside. I had an orchid plant in a white pot in each bathroom. Example.
7. Get rid of all clutter everywhere. No shaving cream or blowdryers or q-tips on the bathroom counters. If you have displays of collectibles, get rid of them. Ask yourself, "Would a model home have this?"
8. Pay attention to your entryway and curb appeal. Lawn should be mowed. If needed, pressure wash your driveway, sidewalks, porch, etc. Remulch, plant some colorful flowers in groupings of 3-5 at front of house. Entry should be inviting. Keep it simple. A clean rug, a mirror, maybe a lamp if you don't have an overhead light in your entry, a houseplant or an attractive bowl on the entry table .
9. Turn on every light in the house during showings. Open the curtains if you have a nice view.
10. Kitchen. Make sure it's pristine clean. I bought a blue and white bowl and filled it with lemons. Very appealing look. I placed it on my kitchen counter. It could also go in the center of your kitchen table, or a vase of flowers. Green apples look good, too.
11. Besides my white towels, I also kept new, clean bedspreads in linen closet and whipped those out to make fresh beds when people were viewing the house. If you buy new towels and linens, white towels and white waffle-weave shower curtains look very hotel spa like. Cheerful colors look good in the kitchen in small doses -- lemon yellow, apple green, orange, etc. Try to match colors (example: if you leave yellow kitchen canisters on the kitchen counter buy matching yellow flowers or dishtowels to display). People are drawn to little pops of color.
12. People are drawn to symmetry. Two throw pillows at each end of couch. Matching table lamps on each end table, flanking the couch. If you have differing lamps, try to match shades. It looks more pleasing.
13. Bonus: Consider giving your house a lux vibe with high end products. People are drawn to that kind of thing and some people are looking to buy a lifestyle. People are going to look in your pantry. Clear all clutter out of your pantry and cabinets. If you have a pantry, place fancy unopened jars of jams, chutney, olives, etc. and crackers inside shallow whicker baskets. Those gourmet type foods can be found at HomeGoods and Marshall's type places for cheap. Place Herbs of Provence on your stovetop and one bottle of unopened dish soap from Williams Sonoma or Myers Clean Day on your sink.
posted by Fairchild at 6:19 PM on August 18, 2015 [25 favorites]
We followed many of the tips mentioned above both times when we sold. We have family in town so both times we moved out frim the time our places were listed until they sold. We had cats, dogs and little kids though so I think we would have had to rent a hotel if we hadn't had family to stay with. If you don't have pets/kids and stay in your house then definitely keep your home smelling fresh as well. Some people recommend brewing coffee or baking bread. We didn't bother with that but did air the place out thoroughly
posted by biggreenplant at 7:14 PM on August 18, 2015
posted by biggreenplant at 7:14 PM on August 18, 2015
Make sure anything invoking cleaning duties or yardwork is put out of sight. This includes your outdoor trash cans, recycle bins, and garden hoses.
But the best home staging tip to sell as quickly as possible is to price it on the low side.
posted by yohko at 7:22 PM on August 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
But the best home staging tip to sell as quickly as possible is to price it on the low side.
posted by yohko at 7:22 PM on August 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
I recently sold my first house in just one day on the market and followed a lot of the above advice.
Decluttering is the biggest thing. Take all the magnets off the fridge. Pack up most of your books. Put the trashcan in the garage or laundry room. We actually sold the couch from our living room set and just kept a loveseat with two sidetables.
But don't take everything away. We kept up a few clocks, paintings, and other (small, unobtrusive) decorations throughout the house. Nothing personal, but they did add a nice touch.
On my real estate agent's advice, we went to Walmart and bought about 20 of those large rubber tubs. We filled them up with unnecessary clothes, knickknacks we wanted to keep, family photos, etc. Then neatly labeled them and stacked them carefully along a wall in the basement. It made us look so organized. I actually peeled off the labels and returned most of them after the move.
We also had a professional photographer come when listing. She helped me reorganize some rooms to make them look bigger. The photos were so good that I barely recognized the place.
posted by galvanized unicorn at 7:54 PM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
Decluttering is the biggest thing. Take all the magnets off the fridge. Pack up most of your books. Put the trashcan in the garage or laundry room. We actually sold the couch from our living room set and just kept a loveseat with two sidetables.
But don't take everything away. We kept up a few clocks, paintings, and other (small, unobtrusive) decorations throughout the house. Nothing personal, but they did add a nice touch.
On my real estate agent's advice, we went to Walmart and bought about 20 of those large rubber tubs. We filled them up with unnecessary clothes, knickknacks we wanted to keep, family photos, etc. Then neatly labeled them and stacked them carefully along a wall in the basement. It made us look so organized. I actually peeled off the labels and returned most of them after the move.
We also had a professional photographer come when listing. She helped me reorganize some rooms to make them look bigger. The photos were so good that I barely recognized the place.
posted by galvanized unicorn at 7:54 PM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
I recently sold a house quickly. I had a stager whose advice I took blindly. It was all along the lines of above; no clutter, neutral colors on the walls, etc. Just my opinion, but the single thing I think I did to sell the house quickly was to put a realistic reasonable price on the house. I listed it at a price that was a just below the average of the three brokers who came to pitch me and gave me their listing price estimate. I held pretty firm in the negotiation part but put a price on it that made anyone interested at least make a bid.
On preview, what yohko said.
posted by AugustWest at 7:55 PM on August 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
On preview, what yohko said.
posted by AugustWest at 7:55 PM on August 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
Replace your toilet seats. The actual seat. It's easier than trying to scrub them clean, and the new ones will be sparkling and unchipped like in a nice hotel. It makes your toilets look much cleaner, and avoids the "ew, somebody else's house" factor.
posted by Knowyournuts at 8:28 PM on August 18, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Knowyournuts at 8:28 PM on August 18, 2015 [3 favorites]
I once was shown a house in which some large accident to a wall had not been repainted, but had been colored in with a crayon. It definitely made the house memorable, but not sale-able. The point is: look at your house as with a stranger's eyes.
posted by Cranberry at 10:55 PM on August 18, 2015
posted by Cranberry at 10:55 PM on August 18, 2015
FWIW, our realtor told us to keep our decidedly non-neutral paint. It was correct to the period of the house and it was really thoughtfully planned, harmonious color. The person who bought our house (in well under a week) told us they loved the colors and asked us for the specific color names. We got a lot of feedback that people thought it was part of the unique charm of the house.
If the paint is fresh, then you might be able to skip painting unless it's super weird.
posted by 26.2 at 12:27 AM on August 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
If the paint is fresh, then you might be able to skip painting unless it's super weird.
posted by 26.2 at 12:27 AM on August 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
Enlist the assistance of a friend who has never visited your house before, or at least has rarely been there. Get them to do a walk thru making comments while you follow behind making notes. They will have fresh eyes and will notice things that you do not, from patches of grime to furniture placement that restricts traffic flow to draughty areas that you no longer feel.
People often leave behind great big things in the basement and the sheds that are awkward to move - the old oil tank that was there when they bought the building for example. Look into getting those taken out. If you have to leave something dreadful behind temporarily while the showing starts put an impersonal ticket on it with a statement like "To be removed September 8th, 2015" You could instead put a small pile of take away fact sheets out stating that the appliances will be left behind or removed at the option of the purchaser and any other helpful facts. That way they don't have to relay questions through the realtor and can more quickly envisage themselves in the space. You should include facts such as "Water heater purchased July 2014 - 5 year warranty" if those things are true. It's more concrete than leaving the potential buyers musing, "Well the water heater looks fairly new...."
If you can schedule the open house for when the lighting conditions are best.
posted by Jane the Brown at 4:08 AM on August 19, 2015
People often leave behind great big things in the basement and the sheds that are awkward to move - the old oil tank that was there when they bought the building for example. Look into getting those taken out. If you have to leave something dreadful behind temporarily while the showing starts put an impersonal ticket on it with a statement like "To be removed September 8th, 2015" You could instead put a small pile of take away fact sheets out stating that the appliances will be left behind or removed at the option of the purchaser and any other helpful facts. That way they don't have to relay questions through the realtor and can more quickly envisage themselves in the space. You should include facts such as "Water heater purchased July 2014 - 5 year warranty" if those things are true. It's more concrete than leaving the potential buyers musing, "Well the water heater looks fairly new...."
If you can schedule the open house for when the lighting conditions are best.
posted by Jane the Brown at 4:08 AM on August 19, 2015
Bathrooms, bathrooms, bathrooms.
They should look like swanky spas, not like regular bathrooms. So, get rid of everything on the counters except for fancy soap dispensers and a beautiful potted flower like an orchid. White, fluffy, hotel-grade handtowels hanging. Fluffy white bath mats. New toilet cover.
No shampoo or conditioner or other drek in the tub. If there's room in the tub, add a few different beautiful decanters of bath bombs and bath salts.
Your bathroom is a SPA, not the place where you brush your teeth and do your business.
posted by kinetic at 4:18 AM on August 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
They should look like swanky spas, not like regular bathrooms. So, get rid of everything on the counters except for fancy soap dispensers and a beautiful potted flower like an orchid. White, fluffy, hotel-grade handtowels hanging. Fluffy white bath mats. New toilet cover.
No shampoo or conditioner or other drek in the tub. If there's room in the tub, add a few different beautiful decanters of bath bombs and bath salts.
Your bathroom is a SPA, not the place where you brush your teeth and do your business.
posted by kinetic at 4:18 AM on August 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
For the bathroom "spa" feel, you can get an artificial orchid, if you're like me and don't want to have to think about keeping something alive. I got this one from Amazon--it has a couple of low ratings from people who didn't realize they were ordering an artificial orchid, but if you know that's what you're getting, I think it is just fine. It looks nice in a small bathroom/powder room (or go up a size if you have a large master bath).
posted by msbubbaclees at 8:32 AM on August 19, 2015
posted by msbubbaclees at 8:32 AM on August 19, 2015
I am able to see flaws in my house better when I take pictures. To me, lemon or orange oil says clean, so spray clean stuff just before you leave. And I do think baking cookies makes it smell good, and you can leave the cookies for potential buyers.
posted by theora55 at 9:00 AM on August 19, 2015
posted by theora55 at 9:00 AM on August 19, 2015
We bought our house 90 days after it had been put on the market with no offers, and after the previous owners had dropped the price by $12,000 from the original asking price.
Why did it take so long to sell? Partly because they'd priced it too high for the market (they built it right before the housing market crashed, and we think they were trying to recoup what they spent on it), and partly because they didn't take decluttering and blanding it down to heart. See those walls? Every single wall in the place, including the fence and outer walls in the back yard, had at least that amount of crap hanging on it or bolted to it, and a neighbor told us, a year or so after we bought the place, that we saw it after the realtor made them get rid of about 60% of the stuff they previously had! We immediately nicknamed it the Chili's House due to the color scheme and all the tchotchkes (although we kept the wall colors!).
Why would you want to leave all that stuff on the walls in that living room while selling? That statement brick wall is where you want everyone's attention! We've lined the room with bookcases, at any rate.
posted by telophase at 12:07 PM on August 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
Why did it take so long to sell? Partly because they'd priced it too high for the market (they built it right before the housing market crashed, and we think they were trying to recoup what they spent on it), and partly because they didn't take decluttering and blanding it down to heart. See those walls? Every single wall in the place, including the fence and outer walls in the back yard, had at least that amount of crap hanging on it or bolted to it, and a neighbor told us, a year or so after we bought the place, that we saw it after the realtor made them get rid of about 60% of the stuff they previously had! We immediately nicknamed it the Chili's House due to the color scheme and all the tchotchkes (although we kept the wall colors!).
Why would you want to leave all that stuff on the walls in that living room while selling? That statement brick wall is where you want everyone's attention! We've lined the room with bookcases, at any rate.
posted by telophase at 12:07 PM on August 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
Also, the previous owners managed to cover up the reek of dog in the house by burning scented candles everywhere during the showings, which we didn't realize until we took possession, and hid damage the dogs had done to the window blinds by pulling all the blinds all the way up during every showing. Just in case you need to cover up smells or damage to the blinds!
posted by telophase at 12:09 PM on August 19, 2015
posted by telophase at 12:09 PM on August 19, 2015
burning scented candles
THIS. There's that great scene in Arrested Development where Lindsey is going off to have an affair and she meets Ed Helms, the Realtor, at the house and she goes upstairs to take a shower while he is "going to make the house smell like cookies," and he sprays "Cookies in a Can" scent around the kitchen.
You want the house to smell good but not something overpowering. People often simmer vanilla on the stove for a cookie-like scent.
(I've never been able to drop an AD reference in an AskMe before; I just blue myself.)
posted by kinetic at 4:46 AM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
THIS. There's that great scene in Arrested Development where Lindsey is going off to have an affair and she meets Ed Helms, the Realtor, at the house and she goes upstairs to take a shower while he is "going to make the house smell like cookies," and he sprays "Cookies in a Can" scent around the kitchen.
You want the house to smell good but not something overpowering. People often simmer vanilla on the stove for a cookie-like scent.
(I've never been able to drop an AD reference in an AskMe before; I just blue myself.)
posted by kinetic at 4:46 AM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
Scented candles often give me the feeling that I can't breathe and need to leave the building, so just because some people like them won't necessarily be helpful. If you had scented candles lit during a showing I would assume you used them a lot and that the smell of them had permeated all the interior walls and carpeting.
The easy trick with vanilla is to put a drop of it near the stove element and turn it to warm.
posted by yohko at 12:20 PM on August 20, 2015
The easy trick with vanilla is to put a drop of it near the stove element and turn it to warm.
posted by yohko at 12:20 PM on August 20, 2015
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