"It’s vital that we get it right when it comes to finding a buyer because walking into a foul-smelling room can be an instant turn-off"
- Tarquin Purdie - HaMuch
A survey of 1,070 people who purchased a home in the past year found that 81% would be discouraged from properly viewing a property if it had an unpleasant odour. Even more telling, 80% said a bad smell would reduce their likelihood of making an offer altogether.
So, which odours are the biggest offenders? The top three deal-breakers according to buyers were:
Drainage smells (31%)
Lingering cigarette smoke (25%)
Musty mould odours (25%)
On the flip side, certain scents can actually enhance a home's appeal. 33% of buyers said the smell of fresh spring flowers was the most inviting, followed by the comforting aromas of freshly baked bread (21%) and brewed coffee (16%).
For sellers looking to create a welcoming atmosphere, scent might be an overlooked but powerful tool in making a great first impression.
“We’re all well versed on how big of an impact presentation has when trying to find a buyer for your home, ensuring everything is clean and tidy while taking great care over the appearance of each room in the house. But do we give proper consideration to smell?" comments HaMuch founder and CEO Tarquin Purdie.
"There’s a good chance we don’t simply because our noses get so used to the way our own homes smell that it’s hard to know if it’s attractive or unappealing," he added, "But it’s vital that we get it right when it comes to finding a buyer because walking into a foul-smelling room can be an instant turn-off and raises serious doubts in a buyer’s mind about the overall level of care that has been given to the property.
"If there is mould in the property, or you’ve been smoking inside for a long time, it can be tricky to eliminate bad smells completely, but opening windows to give the place a blast of fresh air can help a lot while adding great smells to the home can quickly cover anything that buyers might not want up their noses.”
