For many home sellers, staging efforts focus heavily on visual appeal—fresh paint, updated fixtures, or carefully chosen décor. But an often‑overlooked factor may be quietly costing sellers thousands of dollars—the way their home smells.
For sellers hoping to maximize their home’s value, what buyers smell—or don’t smell—may matter just as much as what they see.
Why Do Smells Trigger Stronger Reactions Than Décor?
Alexei Morgado, a Florida real estate agent and founder of Lexawise, a real estate exam prep platform, told Newsweek that scent can trigger far stronger emotional reactions in buyers than décor choices ever could.
In a 2024 article for Harvard Medicine magazine, Sandeep Robert Datta, a professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School, explained that smell is uniquely connected to the brain.
“It’s now clear that even though our sense of smell is not as robust as that of a mouse or bloodhound, it is deeply tied to our cognitive centers, our emotional centers, and our memory centers,” Datta said. He added that humans are “dependent on it for a sense of well‑being and centeredness in the world.”
Morgado said this neurological connection is why buyers can often overlook visual elements they don’t love, but struggle to move past unpleasant odors.
“From what I have observed, one may talk themselves into liking a certain paint color or tile design, but when one has an adverse reaction to a smell, they may not easily get over it,” he told Newsweek.
Why Do Sellers Often Underestimate the Problem of Smell?
One of the biggest challenges, Morgado said, is that homeowners often don’t realize their house has an odor problem at all.
“Most sellers underestimate smell problems because they get ‘nose‑blind’ in their own home,” he told Newsweek. “Their brain tunes out familiar odors, so they genuinely don’t notice what a new person notices immediately.”
This sensory adaptation can leave sellers unaware of issues that are immediately obvious to buyers walking in for the first time.
Smells Potential Home Buyers Find Hardest to Ignore
According to Morgado, some odors consistently trigger strong negative reactions during home showings.
“In my experience, the most powerful ‘I want out’ responses come from smells like pet urine or kitty litter scents that have a way of seeping into carpet padding or even flooring, reemerging later,” he said. He also noted that smoke odors are particularly persistent.
“Smoke from cigarettes or cigars clings to upholstery and air conditioner vents,” Morgado said, adding that musty or humid smells can quickly raise red flags for buyers. “Musty, humid smells often evoke worries of mold, leaks, or humidity problems.”
Kitchen odors can also linger longer than sellers realize. “Grease and spices from old meals linger, especially in curtains, range hood filters, and kitchen cabinets,” Morgado explained.
Masking Odors Can Alert Buyers to Flaws
Masking odors however can make things worse. “Yes, and buyers notice it quickly,” he told Newsweek.
While some sellers attempt to combat unpleasant smells with candles or plug‑in air fresheners, Morgado warned that this approach can backfire. “Strong scents can be just as offensive as unpleasant ones. What you love may trigger allergies or headaches in someone else,” he said.
Morgado said that overpowering fragrances can actually make buyers more suspicious. “If a house smells like strong plug‑ins, heavy candles, or a ‘cleaning perfume,’ many buyers assume you’re covering something up,” he said. Rather than helping, those scents can cause buyers to scrutinize the home more closely.
He added, “It can also distract them from the home and make them scrutinize everything harder.”
Link Between Smell and Perceived Maintenance Issues
Beyond emotional reactions, Morgado said odors can signal deeper problems in the minds of buyers.
“Some smells can be indicative of risk,” he said. “Musty or damp smells could suggest moisture issues, mold, inadequate ventilation, or drainage issues with the HVAC [heating, ventilation, air conditioning].”
Other odors may hint at expensive repairs. “Ammonia or pet urine smells could be indicative of stained flooring, damaged baseboards, or even the need for a subfloor,” Morgado said. He added that sour odors—sometimes described as a “dirty socks” smell—may point to mechanical problems. “Sour smells… could indicate dirty coils or drain pans, drain line issues, or even humidity control issues.”
Simple Changes That Can Help Address Smell Issues
When working with sellers, Morgado said he focuses on eliminating odors at their source rather than covering them up.
“When I help sellers with odor issues, I recommend starting with the source by taking out the trash daily, cleaning the disposal, staying on top of litter boxes, washing pet bedding, and avoiding strong cooking right before showings,” he said.
He also emphasizes deep cleaning. “I also suggest deep‑cleaning the places that hold smells, like carpets, rugs, upholstery, curtains, and even walls and baseboards,” Morgado said. Ventilation and maintenance are key finishing steps. “To finish, I recommend ventilating the home, controlling humidity, changing HVAC filters, and having the A/C serviced if it smells musty.”
How Should Home Sellers Handle Scent Before Viewings?
Morgado said preparation should start well before buyers arrive.
“I recommend a simple prep routine,” he told Newsweek. “The day before a showing, deep‑clean soft surfaces, focus on pet areas, clean the trash can, run laundry, and check the HVAC filter and returns.”
On the day of the showing, he advises a lighter touch. “The morning of, open windows if the weather allows, run exhaust fans, take pets out, and move litter boxes out of main spaces,” Morgado said. Just before buyers walk in, he recommends skipping fragrance entirely. “Right before buyers arrive, I suggest skipping strong plug‑ins or candles and sticking to clean air.”
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