What to do about "SMELLY" Houses: 4 TIPS and 5 Common Smells and How to Eliminate Them When Selling

by Jennie Norris, Chairwoman & CEO, IAHSP®

If you have been in the home staging and/or real estate industries long enough, you have experienced it. That odor that hits you as you walk in the door of a house. And even worse, the sellers seem oblivious to the smells. You stand there smiling with that voice in your head that says, "OMG! This house stinks so bad! How am I going to tell them about the stench? It will NOT sell unless they get rid of it!"

This is my 23rd year in the industry - and yes - I believe I have smelled it all! As the professional entrusted to help get a house sold using staging, I have a responsibility to be honest with the homeowners and share what they need to know to address any potential stumbling blocks for buyers. So do you.

The KEY is Communicating in a way that does not offend, AND then provide a solution to address the issue.

4 TIPS to Consider:

TIP 1: Choose Your Words Carefully

I have taught hundreds of courses to thousands of real estate agents and home stagers. One of the things I teach in the course is about "communication" and how important it is to choose words carefully because they matter. When it comes to issues of smells, we need to find ways to say things in a non-offensive way. 

Go re-read the first paragraph.

I purposely used words that can be a trigger to upset the seller. Odor. Smell. Stink. Stench.

Each word was an escalation in how bad something can smell - and many times that word would be deserving to describe the situation.

However, it is important we don't offend the homeowner by telling them they have a stinky house. When stagers are asked to provide a consultation advising the sellers what they need to do to get ready for sale, the real estate agent is trusting us to represent THEM well. If we upset the client, it can impact the agent's relationship with them and possibly cost them the listing!

TIP 2: Soften the Delivery:

Instead of the words smell, stench, stink, odor - use the word "aroma," as in, "I am detecting the aroma of ___". It is a softer way to tell someone about a possible issue. Better yet, relate it to yourself: "I am detecting the aroma of your fur babies. I know I have the same issue with my sweet dog. This is what should help to minimize that." Relating it to yourself will make the seller feel less like you are being critical and finger pointing, and more like you are coming alongside them with empathy.

Using the word "detecting" also leaves the door open for a seller who acts shocked that their house may have an aroma. If they claim no one has ever mentioned before, share, "I understand - most houses do have aromas of some kind, even my own, and we don't want to give a buyer ANY reason not to buy YOUR house." (and then share the solution).

TIP 3: Never hide or mask an odor. 

The owner needs to determine the source of the aroma and deal with it.  If you recommend a seller hide an unpleasant smell, it could come back to bite you as being deceptive. The seller could also be in trouble with buyers if they deliberately hide a troublesome odor. It means they were aware of the issue, and did not disclose or address it in the sale. The use of fragrant plug-ins, pot-pourri, candles, air fresheners, atomizers, etc. - are a "red flag" for a buyer. Overuse or use concentrated in certain parts of a property means there is a smell the seller is trying to hide.

TIP 4: Always provide a SOLUTION that should eliminate the issue.

You need to educate yourself on the various types of products available to ELIMINATE odors. Read on to learn how to do this.

5 basic aroma groups and how to get rid of them:

1. Smoke: cigarettes, pot, pipes, fireplace

You need an ozone-based product that cleans the air. Clean any curtains/drapes, change air filters, clean vents. The sellers should not continue to smoke in the property or garage. A heavy smoker does not know how much their house smells - they are used to it. Sellers need to ensure there are NO cigarette or joint butts on the ground in the yard, not only is unsightly, it is also like having a sign saying, “Smokers live here!”

Personal experiences:

I did a consultation for a seller who was a heavy smoker. I was there for maybe 60-90 minutes. My hair and clothes took on the cigarette smoke smell badly, I had to take a shower when I got home. A buyer would likely turnaround and leave UNLESS they too, were a smoker.

When my husband, John, and I bought our second home, the first time we saw the house, the listing agent was there and had every window open.  There was a commercial size ashtray – you know the ones that you see outside a large office building – in the family room.  It was mounded over with cigarette ashes and butts.  We decided to buy the house – the price was right, location and layout were great for a growing family. BUT that cigarette smell was atrocious.  We painted the entire interior, we had new carpet installed, removed curtains, and STILL – EVERY time we took a shower in the small master bath, the heat and moisture from the shower caused the ceiling (that had been painted multiple times by us) to ooze yellow nicotine residue.  Thankfully today there are products that get rid of that issue.

2. Cooking odors: Curry, strong spices, fish, etc.

Ozone cleans the air so is good for these types of aromas. The sellers cannot keep introducing that aroma into the house - they need to minimize the use of certain spices, and not cook certain foods. Yes, it IS inconvenient for the sellers – so share that you know that it is – and yet it is for a short window of time in the grand scheme of things. If they are motivated to sell, they need to understand aromas are triggers for buyers, and they need to do their part to help their property sell. Eat out or go to friends or family's houses for meals. Remember to share with the homeowners: "The way you live in your HOME and the way we market and sell a HOUSE are two different things!" That takes the judgment OFF how they live, and the focus is solely on what is needed to get the house to sell quickly and at the best price based on market conditions.

Personal experiences:

We picked up our furniture from a house that had curry spice aromas we were told would not continue to be an issue while the house was for sale.  That was false, and when we went to pick up all our furniture took on that smell and required us to treat it with products to eliminate the issue. We had planned on using the items in a staging directly following the pick-up and had to shift gears. From that day forward, I put a provision in our staging agreements that makes the seller responsible for any issues of this type, and I carefully consider whether or not I want to take on those projects because of the risk to our upholstered items.

3. Pets: Urine, poop, pet hair, dog beds that smell like Fritos

Enzyme based odor eliminators that get to the source of the aroma - enzymes break up the protein molecules and can even clean the carpet, furniture item that has been soiled.  However, the product must be applied to the SOURCE. Sellers may claim their pet has never soiled the flooring or furniture, but the nose knows! A blacklight will show you EXACTLY where the stain is and then it is just a matter of getting the product application done properly.

When the issue is so bad the flooring is not treatable, it is best to have the carpeting replaced, and the subfloor treated with products that eliminate the aromas and stains BEFORE new padding is put down. Furniture that is impacted by pet soiling can be removed.

Pet beds can be washed or replaced - many homeowners stash them under their bed or behind a couch – and if they have that Fritos or old socks smell, it is a turn off for buyers. They should be washed / replaced to eliminate any possible concerns a buyer may have if they figure out there are dogs in the house.

Personal Experience:

We staged a $1.2M property that had been rented out and the tenant got 2 big dogs and did not disclose that to the owner.  This was during a time when the real estate market was a strong sellers’ market. When the tenant moved out, the high-quality carpets throughout the home were destroyed by pet urine.  When I previewed the house, I was bowled over by the strong urine smell. I advised the homeowner to replace the carpets that would have cost him about $30,000.  The homeowner refused and instead tried an enzyme-based treatment, but it did not work because there was too much damage.  The house was listed for sale, and did not sell. After dropping the price $120K, the house STILL did not have an offer! When we picked up our items, they had taken on the urine smell and had to be treated as well. If he had just taken my professional advice and replaced the carpets, the house would have sold, but he cost himself 5x the new carpeting investing and ended up wasting months on the market with a property buyers likely labeled, "the Pee house."

4. Mold and Mildew:

These aromas come from water intrusion and to properly eliminate them, the Seller needs to get to the source. The spores are harmful, mold is a living organism that feeds off things like glue commonly found in wallpaper, caulking, drywall paste, etc. The source of the moisture needs to be addressed and fixed, so the smell will go away.  Mold is a very toxic thing in a home and should not be ignored. For front loading washers, mildew and mold can form in the rubber drum liner and on the door. Those should be wiped down with a Clorox or other bleach product to eliminate the issue.

Personal Experience:

The second house we bought that had the cigarette smoke issue also had an issue with poor drainage on the property.  The house had a crawl space located in the floor of the primary bedroom closet, and when it rained, the yard flooded – and so did the area under the house.  We saw evidence from a water line that proved this.  As a result, the house had a mold/mildew issue and as a living organism, it was crawling up the walls of the house on the corners where the reinforced metal edges were glued.  The mildew/mold would show up from time to time as the organism ate the paint, and back then we did not have products to get rid of the issue.  We just painted over it but TODAY if I experienced this issue, I would use one of the proven methods for eliminating the mold and mildew, likely having to tear out portions of the walls in the area of the house where the crawl space was and replacing the affected areas with materials that were mildew and mold resistant.

5.  Old, musty house:

Musty old house smell comes from age of the elements inside: carpeting, window treatments, furniture, clothing, even the people. Airing out these musty houses and removing old furniture, area rugs, clothing, etc. helps, but to really get rid of the aromas, using an ozone-based product is great.

Sellers need to clean carpets (products can be put in the solution) or replace, remove old curtains, and valances, replace air filters and clean vents. An air purifier running in the house also helps. For showings it should be put away as buyers will think "there is something wrong with the ventilation," or "the house must smell bad." Even if that is not the case, no advertising the possibility with machines.

OZONE SOLUTIONS:

Ozone is a gas that is naturally occurring and is part of the atmosphere.  At ground level, ozone is harmful to humans, animals and even plants.  Ozone reacts with odor-causing molecules, oxidizing them and breaking them down, effectively eliminating the odors.

It is like Lighting - the reason the air outside smells so clean after a good thunder and lightning rainstorm is because the lighting makes oxidants that clean the air.

What Products or Services work:

• Ozium - spray you can purchase online or in many stores - often in the auto section

• Ozone machines such as Ecoquest

• Febreze ozone (non-perfumy)

• Commercial Ozone treatment for super heavy smoke smells - can be expensive but it is effective

Note: Ozone is LETHAL in its high concentration form. Commercial treatments require any living thing to be removed from the house while the treatment takes place.  Companies use oxygen masks to get the system going in a house and have to wear them to turn off the treatment.  ALL pets and people need to leave for usually 24 hrs. 

Personal Ozium Experience:

When they were in high school, 2 of my sons went to a summer football camp and borrowed my car.  They had tents for camping and the first night a terrible storm ripped through the camp, destroying the tents of most of the players.  Four boys then slept in my car. When they got home, my car smelled like a combination of campfire smoke and sweaty bodies.  I sprayed  Ozium in my car and the aromas were gone.

ENZYME PRODUCTS:

Enzymes are catalysts that increase the speed of chemical reactions and break larger molecules into smaller sizes. Many enzymatic cleaners also contain beneficial bacteria that help further break down the remaining organic matter. These bacteria consume the smaller molecules produced by the enzymes, further contributing to stain removal.

In layman's terms: if there is a urine stain, the enzyme breaks up the proteins causing the stain and then helpful bacteria eat away at the smaller particles and remove the odor and the stain. They are usually non-toxic and biodegradable

What Products or Services work:

• PureAyre - made with plant-based enzymes, safe for babies and pets

• Kilz - Mold and Mildew Eliminator

• White vinegar, hydrogen peroxide or bleach solutions, followed by scrubbing and rinsing.

• Wiping out front loading washers where mold and mildew can form in the rubber seal going around the drum, and on the glass door.

It's crucial to address the underlying causes of mold and mildew growth, such as leaks or high humidity, to prevent recurrence. 

Paint that Cleans: Sherwin Willliams - SW - has a paint line that actually cleans the air and eliminate 99.9 of germs and other toxic things in the air and on surfaces are great. This paint line is being used in hospitals and is great for a house with children who are sensitive to germs, viruses, or airborne toxins.  IAHSP has a partnership with SW that gives you up to 47% OFF paint and supplies!

Personal Pure Ayre Experience:

PureAyre has so many uses, and, on the bottle, it says it can get rid of skunk smell.  We put it to the test when we lived in a nice house that had wood slatted doors to the backyard that would swell when it rained, and you could not close them. 

One day when the doors were not able to close, a skunk wedged it's body through the slats and strolled into our living room.  I jumped up on the raised fireplace hearth and told my family not to make any sudden moves.  One of the kids was holding our dog.  The skunk could have headed off into the rest of the house, which would have been really bad, but it decided to explore the room, walked around and then made its way out the same way it came in.  Phew! Then someone put the dog down and he shot into the backyard and got skunked! It smelled so bad! We threw him in the shower with one of our boys and I handed him a bottle of PureAyre and told our son to use it like shampoo. ONE application and the smell was gone!  Truly a great product!!

I hope this information is useful for you as you work with your clients.

And remember: WHEN YOU CAN SMELL IT, YOU CAN'T SELL IT!