How to Appeal to All 5 Senses at Property Tours
Very often sellers will focus on only one of the senses when preparing their home for sale, visually. However, it is important to keep in mind that all other senses can play large roles in the home touring experience. Just think, when you walk down the street by a bakery you may see their nice store front, smell the baked goods, see them displayed and may venture inside for a taste! Here are some helpful tips on how to cover all the bases for when the time comes to list your home for sale.
Touch and Comfort
While public open houses are planned, private showings can happen with far less notice. Keeping the house in perfectly clean condition is a must. Make sure it passes the white glove test where all surfaces are free of dust and/or debris. This includes the less obvious places like door jams, window sills, on top of the fridge, etc. Other than what you can touch, cater to how visitors will feel by setting the home at the perfect ambient temperature.
Smells
It is always best to have a home smelling neutral as opposed to foul or having a strong odor. Pungent cooking smells or off putting pet odors are definitely things that you will want to avoid. Do not mask these smells by using powerful candles or air fresheners as these can be just as offensive to some who are more sensitive. Your best bet is to keep things very clean and use pleasant smelling cleaners that smell more “fresh” than strong. Finally, a good secret weapon is to bake some fresh cookies. These tend to please all and leave a positive scent for those to associate with your home!
Sounds
Playing some soft music can be a good idea, especially if there is neighborhood construction or nearby lawn mowing going on that it could drown out. Keep this on low and select something neutral to play. Anything loud or jarring can cause an adverse effect.
Taste
Going back to the idea of cookies, leave a plate out with napkins and a note to help yourself. You may have noticed even some furniture stores adopt this idea to encourage shoppers to stay longer and enhance their experience.
Visual Atmosphere
Cleaning and staging are the essentials which are most often discussed. However, what other details can you do? Other great ideas include making sure you get the lighting right. This means using softer bulbs, making sure darker rooms are well illuminated, fixtures are dusted off and blinds are kept open to allow for natural light. Peppering in some real plants can literally add some life as well. Finally, a nice touch is to leave out a binder of any pertinent paperwork that may be of interest to the buyer. Things like a recently replaced HVAC system with warranty or the like may prove additional value.