Things That Make Your Home Smell Bad Without You Realizing It

When I first enter a house, the smell that concerns me immediately is mold. Mold, mold, mold. A musty, moldy smell—that is number one. It is different from yesterday’s cooking or a garbage can that should have gone out. It can mean that somebody has to stop and find out what is happening in the house.

The people who live there may honestly not smell it. That is not an insult; you get used to your own space. I come in from outdoors and notice it in the first few seconds. A buyer will too.

If I smell something musty, I want an inspection—not a spray

What do I tell a seller if I walk into the place and smell mold or something musty? The ideal thing for a seller is to get an inspection before listing the property. It eliminates so much. People think their house is in perfect, A-one condition. Everything is wonderful. Get an inspection anyway.

It may cost six or eight hundred dollars depending on the size, but it can be worth it. Then you have the report as part of your package. If there is a problem, you can fix it before you have to negotiate the price, or before somebody walks away during the inspection period. You would be shocked: people say, no, no, there is nothing wrong with my place; it is in perfect condition. Well, I smell mold.

That smell does not prove mold by itself. The EPA says a moldy odor suggests possible mold growth and should be investigated. Look for the moisture source, old water damage, or damp material, and bring in somebody qualified when the cause is not clear. EPA guidance on moisture and mold explains why covering the smell for a showing does not repair a leak, a wet wall, a roof problem, or an air-conditioning drain.

Owners become blind to the awkward odors too

What smells do people stop noticing? Animal urine is one. Any urine, frankly. I hate to say it, but you go into places and people have become used to it. Make sure the pails are taken care of, whether that is a baby’s diaper pail or anything else. Make sure everything is clean, and empty the garbage can.

You do not have to make the conversation personal. Move the pet bed. Look under the litter box. Wash the removable covers and check the rug beneath them. If an odor comes back after the surface dries, it may be in the rug pad, grout, subfloor, or another layer you did not reach.

And do not forget the container after the bag is gone. Something leaks under the liner, food touches the lid, and now an empty can smells full. Wash it and let it dry. Check the small bathroom bins, recycling, and the pail where the pet-food cans go. A tied bag moved into the garage is not gone; buyers open the garage.

Air fresheners are not the answer

Air fresheners can make a problem worse. Somebody walking through the house may be allergic to them, and a strong, very specific fragrance is not going to please everyone. I would rather the house smell clean than perfumed. If you add anything after cleaning, keep it gentle—a little cinnamon in the oven or one mild candle, not the scent you personally love sprayed through every room.

In the old days, if you were showing a place, they used to say put cinnamon in the oven. You could put in apples and cinnamon and it smelled like somebody was making a pie. It was a very relaxing smell. I still like that idea—but it comes after the house is clean. It is the little finish, not the cover-up.

Heavy sprays, plug-ins, powders, and several candles at once make buyers wonder what is underneath all that fragrance. After you remove the source, almost nothing is a perfectly good smell. If you use a candle, keep it subtle and never leave it unattended.

I get there early because a showing can happen fast

Number one, the seller should never be there for the showing. You do not want buyers asking the seller questions. As a realtor, you had better know everything about that property, especially in a condo; you need to know the association.

I have actually cleaned apartments before the clients showed up because clothes were lying around or whatever. You cannot show it that way. The seller may say, well, it was short notice. Twenty-four hours’ notice is smart, but sometimes a client comes into town and says, I am here for a few more hours and I would like to see the place. That is the exception. You show it, but you get there early because you want to make sure it is showable.

No buyer wants to walk in and think, if this is what it looks like now, what else am I going to find? If everything looks sparkling clean and organized, they think, well, these people take good care of the place. Smell is part of that same judgment.

The kitchen needs to be clean before it is “inviting”

Before kitchen photographs or a showing, I want it uncluttered, clean, and inviting. Clean the counters. We do not need to see every appliance you own on top of the cupboard; it is too confusing. Hide what you do not need, put it in storage, whatever, but keep it clean. A buyer can be turned off by the clutter before even noticing the room.

After that, put out a bowl of lemons or fresh fruit—something happy. Have flowers. That is my finish. The lemons do not take the place of cleaning the sink, emptying the bin, or finding the food that is making the refrigerator smell.

Check the refrigerator drawers, dishwasher filter, disposal splash guard, sink stopper, and the rim just inside the drain. Cooking odors reach cabinet faces, dish towels, curtains, and upholstery, so wash the things the vapor touched. If a drain still smells when the visible parts are clean, ask why. A dry trap, clog, leak, or plumbing problem needs the right repair, not a stronger perfume.

The last walk before the buyer comes in

I go through every room and write down what needs to be addressed. It might be a loose cupboard handle, a refrigerator handle, a broken chair, a shower that is disgustingly dirty, or a crack in the wall—just the things your eye catches. Hire a housekeeper or a handyman, whatever the place needs. I do not care if you are paying three to five hundred dollars; in the long run, you are going to get your price.

Then I come back through the buyer’s entrance. I check the kitchen garbage and sink. I walk past the pet area, bathrooms, hampers, and laundry. I notice if one room feels humid or has that musty smell. If it does, I do not try to win a contest with it using air freshener. I want to know the source.

The air should be cool. Do not let somebody walk into an oven. In South Florida, start the air early enough for the whole place to be comfortable, not only the room next to the thermostat.

The goal is not to make a house smell “staged.” It is to make sure odor is not the only thing the buyer remembers. Once that is handled, move on to the other things people notice when they first enter a house.