Best Candle Scent for Open House
How to Sell a House with a Candle Scent
What a lot of realtors may not know is that the trick to selling a house is all in the smell. When a potential homeowner walks into a space and immediately feels like they are in their own house, you have a much higher chance of selling.
But this is tricky. How do you make sure every visitor is going to feel at home when they walk through the door? Different people like different smells, and it is impossible to know the perfect smell for every possible buyer before they walk into the house. However, there are some scents that are universally great for making people feel at home and welcome.
Before I divulged to you the secret of the scents, first you should be aware that there is a serious difference between a good candle that makes someone feel happy and more inclined to purchase a home and a shot of deodorized aerosol. These are not the same things! Aerosols are overpowering and chemically gross. And believe me, people can sense the difference.
Aerosols, and even plug-in air fresheners, leave a sort of lingering bitterness hanging in the air that is very distinctive. In fact, chances are if this is the way you handle smells in the home you’re selling, any potential buyer is going to automatically assume you are covering up a gross smell, and that was huge point against you.
But with a candle, especially a quality candle with a quality smell, the aroma is subtle and appealing, and clients notice!
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Keep it Clean
Always keep it clean. Do you know what potential homeowners don’t like? They don’t like the smell of somebody else’s cooked food, musty clothing, stinky socks, the smell of dog, your cigarette smoke wafting off your suit, and they don’t like dusty air vents. All these stinky smells will put a person immediately off whatever house you are trying to sell them.
And while masking these smells with candles is a wise decision, it won’t fix the problem. If you really have a disgusting smell preventing you from selling your home, I highly suggest you get rid of it. Stop smoking before an open house, don’t cook in the home, stop playing with your wet dog before you leave the house, and clean those air vents! Only then will a good candle do its job properly.
Pro Tip – Use great furniture. You could talk to someone like Calgary Interiors and get some unique custom pieces and use them at multiple open houses. They also do upholstery and fabric work.
A Simple Fragrance
An open house is not the time to play with smells. It is also not the place to bust out the funky smells you just bought online, like “Funky Tropical Melon.” The fragrance you use for an open house should be soft, simple, and uniform throughout the entire house. This is not a sampling for your client, it is you trying to sell a home. Do not use blended scents for an open house.
I always suggest using a very simple fragrance that makes people feel happy, comfortable, and not too energetic. In fact, there was a 2013 study done in which it was discovered that shoppers were spending roughly 31.8% more cash in a home décor store when the entire store was fragranced with a simple orange aroma as opposed to blended scents. There is literally no denying the power of smell. The right odour has the uncanny ability to dramatically change a person’s mood, and to loosen their wallet.
So what is the Best Candle Scent for Open House
Citrus
Citrus will forever be one of the best fresh scents. Forget the other food scents, like banana or apple. Citrus makes people feel calm and welcome. Citrus also lasts a long time, so you can light these candles and the scent will stay in the air throughout the entire day. It makes people feel exceptionally at ease.
Citrus is also extremely crisp. What I mean is that citrus smells make a place feel new and clean. This is probably because of how many cleaning products are scented like citrus. It immediately makes people feel like the house is clean and fresh.
Green Tea
Green tea is such a relaxing and calming smell. Green tea is also extremely subtle, like the drink itself. By lighting a green tea candle during your open house, visitors will feel restored instantly upon their entrance. The smell is crisp and refreshing without being “in your face.”
Pine & Cedar
Pine and cedar are always great aromas to have in an open house. This is especially true during the holiday season and the winter months, as it will make them feel very much at home when they walk in. The smell of pine and cedar can fill a person with feelings of holiday joy and winter coziness, which is perfect for making them want to settle down in the house. Nothing makes a person happier and more relaxed than the smell of a Christmas tree!
Vanilla
Vanilla is great for almost anything, including an open house. Vanilla immediately makes any room feel soft and cozy. When your client walks into the room and gets a gentle whiff of vanilla, it drops their guard and makes them feel relaxed. This is great when trying to sell the house, as your client will walk around in a cloud of relaxation.
Herbs
There are many different herb candles you can use to freshen the air in your open house. This is especially useful in the kitchen, as anyone who enters the kitchen and gets a nose full of rosemary, basil, or thyme is going to have a sudden urge to cook a delicious meal. And this is exactly what you want from potential buyers. You want them to feel immediately at home.
Herbs often play a role in people’s memories. The instant they walk into the room and smell a herb that is familiar to them, they will associate it with a memory. And by already having memories associated with the home they are thinking of buying, it makes them want to buy it more!