RealEstate Investing:What Do You Do If Your House Smells and You Want to Sell

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Houses with an odor are hard to sell. Hence the phrase, “If it smells, it doesn’t sell.”

Pets, smoke, moisture, dirt, spices, lack of fresh air, even “good” smells like candles and plug ins.  No matter the reason, when buyers walk into a malodorous home, they usually won’t stay too long. Sometimes it’s because they don’t like the smell. And sometimes the buyers have actual allergies or are very sensitive to smells.

Most buyers have gotten real savvy about detecting masking techniques - candles, plug-ins, and sprays. So when they see a candle, they start to wonder, “What are they trying to hide?” And not everyone likes smelling candles.  The best smell for a house is no smell. Not a bad smell. Not a masked smell. 

When an odor is noticeable, the best approach for selling is to either fix or disclose.

The first challenge is finding out if your house does have a funky odor.  Chances are that if you smoke or have pets, your house does smell to someone who doesn’t smoke or have pets. But if you’re really not sure, the easiest way to do this is ask someone over to your home who has never been there, like your Realtor. Most people won’t come out and tell you (it’s like telling you that you’ve gained weight) - you need to give them permission to be honest with you.

Getting the Smell Out

Regardless of the smell, the first step is to identify the source. Where is the smell coming from? If the odor is pets, get on your hands and knees so you’re at their level. Look for stains or for a stronger odor.  If the odor is smoking, then the entire house probably smells. Cooking odors are going to be primarily in the kitchen and mold/mildew/mustiness are going to be anywhere it’s dark and moist.

Stop the source of the smell. If your basement smells musty, you may have a leak or water seeping in. It may seem obvious but if your house smells like smoke, stop smoking inside. If you have a dog or cat who is urinating in the house, then you need to get rid of anything that is causing the animal to do so and make it less likely that they are going to do it anymore (crating, containing them in the yard, etc).Whatever the cause is, try to stop it from happening any more.

Remove. If possible, remove anything that can retain odors. Furniture, carpeting, curtains, clothing, books, bedding, cardboard boxes, wood, sheetrock and cement can all absorb odors. If it can be removed, it should be.

Clean. When removal isn’t possible or practical, cleaning is your next step. Curtains, clothing, bedding and even carpeting can be cleaned.  However, if the carpet is in really bad shape and it’s possible the odors lie in the padding or below in the wood or subfloors, removal is the only sure way of making sure the odor is gone.

It’s also a good idea to clean the entire house, especially wood cabinets, tile (don’t forget the grout), baseboards, vents, and windows.

Paint. Once you’ve removed what can be removed and cleaned the house, the next step is to paint. Depending on the surface and the source of the smell, you may want to prime with an odor and stain blocking paint.  Stains and odors can generally be eradicated with a good sealer, as long as you get every source of the smell.

Disclosure

If removing the smell just isn’t practical and is overwhelming, then your next best option is to disclose and expect to sell the house for a discount.

Disclosure is best because people viewing your home may have allergies and the last thing you want to subject them to is an allergen. It’s a waste of their time and yours - if they feel ill walking through your house, chances are you’re not getting an offer.

There is Hope for the Smelly House

I have some personal experience with smelly houses. I’ve lived in two homes - one belonging to a chronic smoker and the other to a cat hoarder. Lucky me.

I can tell you that with the chronic smoker house, we refinished the wood floors and painted every surface in the house (ceiling, trim, doors, cabinets, cement) prior to moving in and that took care of it.

The cat hoarder house was a bit trickier. All the carpeting was removed, some subfloors were removed and replaced or sealed, baseboards, ceilings, walls, and trim was painted, basement cement was sealed, and the house was deodorized using a deodorizing bomb.

In both cases, the houses stopped being smelly but it did take some effort.

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