Every home smells like something. It could be the fish you just cooked last night or the cookies. People can remember smells with 65% accuracy after a year. Visual recall, on the other hand, is only about 50% after 3 months. During one of our realtor tours several years ago, I went into a home that had such a strong cat odor. I still remember it like it was yesterday. All of the realtors walked in the door and immediately went outside.
If you are going to sell your home, the deep cleaning you do will help with the smells.
~ wash pet beds and clean litter boxes then put in garage
~ put muddy boots in garage and in a bag
~wash curtains
~have carpet professionally cleaned
So what kind of smells help sell your homes? Just don't put a freshener. Some of them, are too potent and are offensive. I suggest simply cracking a window. If it's warm outside, leave the door open. Fresh air is just that fresh! Research also shows that homes that smell of lemon, orange, vanilla, pine, cedar and cinnamon can help you sell. You can put a few essential oil drops around the home or use a diffuser prior to a showing. Just remember to turn off the diffuser. No one wants to see a diffuser, since people might think "what are they trying to cover up?"
You want the potential buyer to linger in your home, so I suggest baking cookies and having cups of water for them. Leave a note that says "Enjoy".
