7 Ways to Freshen the Air in Your Home Before a Showing

Your home is staged and ready to sell, but how does it smell?  You may be nose-blind to possible odours, and yes, being nose-blind really is a thing.  It’s an olfactory adaptation to familiar smells.  By turning off the receptors that pick up common every-day odours in your home, one is able to detect new and potentially hazardous odours.

Have you ever returned to your home in Calgary after being away and thought, gee – it’s musty in here.  But the next day you don’t smell it anymore?  You’ve become nose-blind.  You don't smell the pet odour, the musty furniture or the stale smell of cigarettes.

But getting back to selling your Calgary home – studies how that a majority of a person’s emotions can be triggered by a scent.  A smell can evoke memories and positive emotions so if you want someone to feel good about being in your home, try making it smell amazing.

Here are 7 easy ways to make your house smell great before showing it:

Fresh Eucalyptus in the Bathroom

Depending on the time of year, you may be able to visit your local garden nursery for springs of eucalyptus.  This exotic fragrant plant can be hung close to the shower – they shouldn’t get wet.  The steam from a hot shower will release the natural oils and will make the bathroom smell like a spa.

Dryer Sheets Behind the Vents

Is there a particular brand of dryer sheet that you love?  Put them under the heat vents and the fragrance will blow through your home when the furnace kicks in.  They’ll act as a dust filter as well.  It will smell like you’ve just done laundry, but this little hack will only last for a few days.  Another great use for dryer sheets is to use them as dust clothes, especially on baseboards.  Dusting baseboards is an often neglected chore.

DIY Lavender Linen Spray

If you have an atomizer, fill it with a potion of 2 cups distilled water, 113 ml of rubbing alcohol and 40 drops of lavender-scented essential oil.  Spray this on your linens when they come out of the dryer before you put them away. Potential buyers will open the doors to your linen cupboard – how does yours smell?

Natural Citrus

Lemons, oranges and grapefruits are fresh smelling and there are lots of ways to use them in your home.  One easy trick is to take a navel orange and poke half a dozen whole cloves into the skin.  You can hang up the orange with twine or leave some in a bowl.  It should last for as long as two weeks.

Use your Furnace Filter

If you have a forced-air furnace, essential oil on the filter is another neat trick.  First of all, you might need to replace your filter.  Every six months is optimal.  Add a few drops of your favourite essential oil whenever you change it.

No furnace?  No problem

If you have radiant or electric heat, you can add essential oil to cotton balls and place them in a bud vase in a strategic place or in innocuous places such as drawers or between couch cushions.  Not recommended if you have small children and pets though.

Don’t Forget the Fridge

Buyers like to poke around in the kitchen and no doubt they’ll check out your fridge if it comes with the house.  Baking soda is a favourite fridge freshener but so is oatmeal.   Plain old oats in an open bowl will absorb fridge odours just as effectively.