When you’re going through the process of getting your home ready to sell, you probably don’t think about this at all. Yet, it’s one of the biggest, most common mistakes sellers make: ignoring how their home actually smells before showings.

The reason this mistake is so common is that we all go nose-blind to the everyday scents like whatever you cooked last night (fish, garlic, and slow-cooker meals love to linger!), pet smells, and even your kid’s sweaty sports gear that gets tossed into a closet after practice.

You probably don’t notice these scents, but buyers pick up on them immediately, which colors their first impressions of your home.

A buyer walking into a home that smells stale, heavily scented, or just off immediately starts wondering what’s causing it and how much clean up they’re going to have to do.

Even if the home is beautiful, a distracting scent can override everything else and make it memorable in all the wrong ways.

Luckily, this is one of the easiest seller mistakes to fix! When I’m preparing a home for the market, I use this simple system that works every time:

1. Start with a deep clean. Odors cling to carpets, drains, and appliances. Pay extra attention to sink drains, dishwashers, trash cans, and pet areas as they’re the usual culprits.

2. Open the windows! Letting the air circulate for even just 20–30 minutes makes a huge difference and freshens up the whole home.

3. Wash soft surfaces. Fabrics really hold onto smells, so give your curtains, bedding, rugs, and pet beds a good clean.

4. Add scent sparingly. A subtle candle, diffuser, or fresh flowers is all you need to create a clean, welcoming atmosphere. But be careful because strong candles or plug-ins can make buyers suspicious, and no one wants to walk into a perfume cloud.

A fresh, clean-smelling home helps buyers feel like the home has been well-maintained so they can relax and focus on the property’s highlights.

If you want your home to shine for buyers, I’m here to help you prep it the right way.