That New Home Smell?

[vhoffman]

We might be selling our home soon, just in limbo right now, so I'm trying to get it in shape.

We enjoy looking at model homes, sort of a hobby. I love that smell new homes have, can't quite identify it, sort of like fresh paint and freshly sawed wood. Firstr impressions are important to a buyer and the little touches do make a difference, so I was trying to figure out how to get that new home smell for our house?

I thought maybe get a few pieces of wood, saw them, place in ac vents, perhaps along with a piece of freshly painted wood? Or is that ridiculous? I've seen sprays and hangers for new car smell to be used in vehicles, wonder if they make an air freshner for homes with the new home smell? Or maybe I'm thinking too much

 

[samanthacatangel]

I just went to a friend's beautiful new home - we decided that fabulous new home smell was "eau de drywall."

It was a combination of paint and drywall, actually.

Smelled like money, lol (especially if you saw their house!)

Have you ever watched the Sell your Home show (forgot the name, the one with Tanya Memme, think its Sell This House) Highly recommend, very enlightening. Smells are important, but most importantly is a clean smell (not implying anything), and get rid of any clutter (again, don't know if you have any or not). They are always saying a buyer has to envision their stuff in your house, not your stuff in your own house, kwim?

They also recently did a house that stunk of smoke, and said by putting on a fresh coat of paint it would camouflage that smell. Makes sense. And would be a lot cheaper than sheetrocking everything.

Samantha

 

[vhoffman]

We don't smoke, so that won't be a problem.

We intend to do some painting, so maybe that will help. I agree, that sheetrock smell says "expensive".

Here's another lttle trick--just spray some furniture polish in the air, makes it smell like you've been cleaning all day!

We're getting rid of the clutter, deep cleaning, etc.

Still would like that new home smell. I really think it would help boost the sale/price.

 

[MACfamily4]

I read an article a few years ago when we were selling our house that talked about the wonders of vanilla smells in selling a house. I got those scented oil things in vanilla and put them all over. I can't say for sure that it was the vanilla, but our house sold in 36 hours. Good luck with your sale.

 

[vhoffman]

I read an article a few years ago when we were selling our house that talked about the wonders of vanilla smells in selling a house. I got those scented oil things in vanilla and put them all over. I can't say for sure that it was the vanilla, but our house sold in 36 hours. Good luck with your sale.

I noticed many model homes have vanilla scented air freshners. Might give them a try.

Also have to get rid of eau-de-cat-stuff. We have four cats, they have 2 litter boxes inside the garage, but also go outside. We scoop it every day, use baking soda, but friends say they can still smell it. That would put buyers off. How to get rid of the smell and keep the kitties?

 

[vhoffman]

Many years ago when we bought our first home I do think smells had something to do with our decision. One house we looked at was just right in terms of location, price, floorplan, etc. But I hated the smell of the soap they used in the bathroom--think it was Irish Green, or something like that.

Now, of course, I realized that they would take their soap with them
But somehow I couldn't make a decision to make an offer (was a buyers market). Then another house came on the market, about the same, but had a nice smell ( sort of like a nice cleaning product). I just liked it better. Bought it! Funny how little things influence us!

 

[Kellyscrapbooks]

I noticed many model homes have vanilla scented air freshners. Might give them a try.

Also have to get rid of eau-de-cat-stuff. We have four cats, they have 2 litter boxes inside the garage, but also go outside. We scoop it every day, use baking soda, but friends say they can still smell it. That would put buyers off. How to get rid of the smell and keep the kitties?

I say steam clean all carpets and furniture and restrict the kitties to the non-fabric areas until it sells. We vetoed 3 houses we were looking at by cat smell alone.

 

[ducklite]

I still get the whiff of the new home smell when I open some of my cabinets. It's wood.

When we sold our last house we painted EVERYTHING! Every wall, every ceiling, even the insides of the closets and the garage. We also replaced all of the carpeting, it really needed it. We replcaed some skaggy looking faucets, a couple of light fixtures. Every single light fixture was taken down and cleaned. We ripped up some overgrown shrubs and replaced them, and remulched with nice cedar mulch.

The place looked and smelled brand new.

Anne

 

[vhoffman]

On that show about how to sell your house (forget what its called), they recommended to someone selling their house that they board their cat for the open house day. Well, the house sold, they were able to get rid of any evidence of kitty, which is offensive to many, even if they have cats, too. Also less stressful for the cat--however, we have four, to board them even for a day would be $$. But for an open house, might be worth it.

 

[vhoffman]

I still get the whiff of the new home smell when I open some of my cabinets. It's wood.

When we sold our last house we painted EVERYTHING! Every wall, every ceiling, even the insides of the closets and the garage. We also replaced all of the carpeting, it really needed it. We replcaed some skaggy looking faucets, a couple of light fixtures. Every single light fixture was taken down and cleaned. We ripped up some overgrown shrubs and replaced them, and remulched with nice cedar mulch.

The place looked and smelled brand new.

Anne

Good to mention the light fixtures--some of ours have dead bugs in them

 

[vhoffman]

Maybe I should stop cleaning with vinegar?

 

[jennifer293]

A friend of mine bought a house about 6 months ago and she said that she never saw a cat the whole time they were looking at it and never smelled anything, but after they bought the house they went through ripping up carpet and refinishing hardwood and she said the smell of cat urine would almost knock you down. They ended up having to sand the hardwood and re-stain it all and then the areas that have carpet they had to paint the floor with KILZ 3 times before they could lay the carpet.


With my own house I too smell new whenever I open my cabinets, I have OAK..I love the smell. Maybe some cedar chips would work in your air vents?????

 

[MACfamily4]

I say steam clean all carpets and furniture and restrict the kitties to the non-fabric areas until it sells. We vetoed 3 houses we were looking at by cat smell alone.

True that! IMHO, not much is worse than cat smell. How you handle the smell depends on whether it's the litter box that alerts everyone to the fact that you have cats, or have the cats themselves had "accidents" on floors, furniture, etc. If it's the later, you may have to invest in some professional help that specializes in "cat." Some friends of ours actually had to replace all their carpet before they could list their house because nothing else worked. I hope it won't be that difficult for you!

 

[vhoffman]

True that! IMHO, not much is worse than cat smell. How you handle the smell depends on whether it's the litter box that alerts everyone to the fact that you have cats, or have the cats themselves had "accidents" on floors, furniture, etc. If it's the later, you may have to invest in some professional help that specializes in "cat." Some friends of ours actually had to replace all their carpet before they could list their house because nothing else worked. I hope it won't be that difficult for you!

Fortunately about 2/3 of our house is ceramic tile, so we won't have that much carpet to replace. The carpet is just in the bedrooms, grungy, needs replacing anyways. I don't think our cats go on the carpet, or I'd smell it. Perhaps its just the litter box, maybe need to get one of those charcoal filtered ones.

I had a friend put down new carpet, then her cat peed all over it, when he never did so with the old carpet. Cats don't like change, they mark their territory, maybe the cat felt his space was invaded by the new carpet?

Cats are a pain, I'd never have so many again. Hey, I said that about 4 cats ago, they just keep finding their way into our lives. Love them all!

 

[natenapril]

We are buying a home this summer (hopefully). I won't be able to be in a house that has cats due to allergies. So I won't be able to view the house with cats.
I have a friend who's house is super clean. Not a spec of dirt anywhere. Vaccuums multiple times a day etc. But I still get allergic reactions to her house because of her cats

 

[Zoesmama03]

I've heard about baking to have that great smell throughout the house too.


Or go to a hardware store like Ace and they should have air fresheners for the a/c vent(where you put the filter you place it after the filter and when it sucks air in to circulate and send out the vents it sends out that great smell) that work awesome at spreading a scent throughout the entire home. They last usually about a week or so too. And cost about $3-4.

 

[HelenePA]

I heard to throw some cinnamon sticks in the oven before people come look at the house.. its supposed to make it smell "homey" and like you've been baking all day.. .kinda like your grandma's use to smell Good Luck! I gotta say when we look at our house it had been closed up for at least a year NOT the best smelling house on the market.. BUT we bought it anyway... figured a few open windows would solve that problem.. thank god it did!

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

This is a funny thread. I know yankee candle has a "new car smell" air freshener, I bet if you look hard enough you will find something that says.."new home smell" only in America

I cannot agree with the cats more, we passed on many houses due to cat smell. I can get past many things when house hunting but cats isn't one of them. Also, one houe that we absolutely loved and was clean as a whistle had some type of garlic cooking going on and it really detracted (at least for me).

Good luck

 

[PartyOf5]

You've got a lot of great ideas above...found this article that might be helpful.

http://realtytimes.com/REU/pages/1.41_5smells.htm?opendocument&ID=josephambrose

 

[jennifer293]

I decorate cakes for a little part time money and everyone that walks in our house says our house always smells like buttercream icing...hahaha