When it comes to selling your own property, there’s much you can do to stage and present it properly, maximizing your odds of a strong first impression.
Home staging tends to be focused on the visual, but today, we want to discuss another sense: The sense of smell.
If you can appeal to a buyer’s olfactory senses, that might create just the kind of strong, emotional connection you need to get an offer. And during the holidays, it’s especially easy to create those sense impressions, specifically by making your home smell redolent of favorite holiday memories.
So what can sellers do to make their home smell seasonal and festive? How can you use holiday scents to get your listing sold?
For anyone selling your own property, here are some tips to keep in mind.
Use Holiday Scents to Get Your House Sold
- Use fresh greens. Did you ever have a live Christmas tree when you were a kid? If so, then you know fully well the power of real, fresh-cut pine! You can use this scent in your home, whether with actual greenery, wreaths, or pine-scented sprays. It’s a powerful aroma that will quickly pervade your rooms and make the entire house smell like the season.
- Get scented pinecones. Most craft stores will have cinnamon-scented pinecones you can buy; place them in a bowl and let them do their thing! Or, make your own. Gather pinecones, wash and dry them carefully, then roll them in scented oils. Place them in a plastic bag for about 24 hours, which locks in the scent.
- Bring scents to a simmer. Another option is to boil your own scents on the stovetop. Bring a pot of water to boil, then mix in cinnamon sticks, cloves, orange peels… whatever makes it smell like the holidays to you! This can be an easy way to fill your home with a natural aroma.
- Mull wine. Along the same lines, mulled wine or apple cider can provide your home with an appealing smell. It’s very easy to create this smell, too, placing your mulled wine or cider in a crock pot and letting it simmer for a while.
- Make a pomander. If you like crafts, or if you have kids who like crafts, this one’s for you! Pomanders have been around for centuries and provide a natural way to freshen the air in your house. Basically, you get oranges or apples, and insert cloves into the outside. Then, you roll them in a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, and sandalwood oil, which cures them and ensures they won’t rot. From there, simply put them on display and breathe deep the festive aroma!
- Create a peppermint spray. Peppermint is another great scent that instantly makes a home feel like the holidays. And making your own spray is extremely easy. All you need to do is mix 20 drops of peppermint essential oil with eight ounces of distilled water, then put it into a spritzing bottle. Spray the air in your home generously, especially when you have a house showing on the horizon.
- Get some candles. Clean, simple, easy. A good scented candle can work wonders. Keep it lit for a few hours before your showing but extinguish it before you leave the house. (This is simply a matter of safety!)
- Do some baking. There’s an old real estate agent’s trick, putting a batch of cookies into the oven before an open house, filling the home with the enticing scent of baked goods. By now it’s almost a cliché, but it’s a cliché for a reason: It really works! If you love to bake, that can be a great way to make your home smell truly welcoming.
These are just a few of the ways in which you can make your home not only look but smell great in advance of the holidays.
Get Your SOLD.com Seller’s Report
One more step you can take to get your home sold, quickly and efficiently? Request your free seller’s report from SOLD.com. It’s free and will offer you personalized tips to get your home sold quickly and easily. Claim your report today!
