I suspicion homes with "good smells" of any spicy or perfumed aroma. I've been to too many homes where potpourri, Glade or scented candles were used to mask sewers/cat pans/smoke or mustiness. If I can smell Murphy's oil soap, Windex and fresh paint, then I'm happy.

"Squeaky clean" smell!! Also suspicious of all the "good smells" mentioned above and the candles usually give me a runny nose and teary eyes.

There have been a lot of posts about smells since I've been here (February). If anything, we've lit sweet nectar candles which is a very mild honeysuckle. I do this to kill the bleach smell if there is one, blowing the candles out hours before & opening windows. By the time we leave, the house doesn't have any smell.

Most people do not want to walk into a house with scents, some are highly allergic. I know people that can't take bleach or cleaner smells which is why I use the mild candle.

Clean is the best smell. Plug-ins, candles, potpourri, etc. often create the opposite reaction of what you'd expect (like "this house smells wonderful"). Instead, buyers may become suspicious and have possible allergy attacks.

Personally, during the winter I like simmering a mixture of cinnamon sticks, cloves, whole allspice and a couple of bay leaves. It puts a bit of warm moisture back into the air and it smells great. But I didn't do that for the Tucson house during the time it has been on the market.

If you watch Sell This House on A&E, they use popcorn. Have never tried it.

I think boiling a mixture like fairygirls can put the buyer into a different mood when the walk into the house. It should be a light, just there sort of thing which is why the boiling thing may be better than some of the powerfully scented candles.

I like fresh chocolate chip cookie smell:)

"Clean" is the best smell. Bleach can be harsh as can some other cleaning products. Any kind of potpourri or candle smell is not good in my opinion unless it is lemon or citrus. Those smell clean. Most floral and fruity scents are a big no no to me and most of my clients. The only one I can personally tolerate is a very light lavender. Many "sweet smelling" candles give me a headache. Spice is appropriate at certain times of the year, but is easily overwhelming. Mint is also a good smell. Garlic is a no.

Bread or cookies are okay. One trick I learned when we sold our first house was to buy essential oils that could be dabbed on the light bulbs. After my last minute cleaning frenzy I would dab some lemon oil (not the cleaning kind) on a couple of light bulbs. It added to the fresh smell. Sometimes I would use a vanilla oil near the kitchen. It's far more subtle than glade or something else.

Clean.

Clean.
Not harsh chemicals, though.

Before showungs, I also used Fabreeze "Linen & Sky" in the closets. That has a clean smell without smelling perfumy.

I vote clean also. I saw a suggestion here a couple of years ago to use the apple scented cleaner to clean the house and mop the floors. I do this for just cleaning my house in general and I like the effect.

I can't stand spicy smells. They give me headaches. I run away from the scented store areas at Christmas. If someone boiled cloves and oranges or anything with cinnamon, I would probably turn around and head out. That house would be off the list for me. The same goes for Glade plug-ins.

Open the doors and windows and let fresh air breeze through the house. Even in winter, it only takes a little while to completely exchange the air and warm it up again (probably for less than the cost of some scented candles :)

It's easy to get used to stuffiness or various smells in the home (including stale cooking odors) and we might not realize it unless we go outside and come back in.
Fresh air that smells of nothing, to me, is the perfect smell for a house.

Thanks, everyone. I agree - I hate strong smells that get you stuffed up.

I like the idea of lemon oil or mint. Who makes the apple scented cleaner? I haven't seen that.

I buy the apple scented cleaner at Wal-Mart. It is a Colgate-Palmolive Company product sold under the brand 'Fabuloso'. The official scent is 'Passion of Fruits', but it smells like apples. It's a green liquid in a clear bottle. I's fairly inexpensive, but does give off a nice scent for a few hours.

I am always suspicious of any strong scents, be it cookies baking and other food smells, candles, potpourri, sprays, etc. as I think the seller is trying to cover up pets, tobacco, or other noxious odors. I walked into a house once where the seller had left candles burning (no one was home) and didn't stay long as the scent gave me a headache. I'd make sure the house sells fresh...open some windows and let the fresh air in.

Coming from someone with five indoor kitties, believe me when I say it's impossible to truly cover up odors. Plug-ins and sprays and potpourri in every room just can't completely disguise eau-de-cat-peepee. However, if the house is already clean and odor-free, I do think that an inviting, welcoming aroma can add to the overall home viewing experience. I'd opt for freshly-baked cookies or simmering spices on the stove, but nothing artificial.

It's easy to get used to stuffiness or various smells in the home (including stale cooking odors) and we might not realize it unless we go outside and come back in.

We had fish on Sunday. I spent all of Monday getting that nasty smell off of my cabinets.

I have to agree with you on opening the windows on a regular basis. I try to do this all of the time. Since I don't work and don't go out a lot, I'm in the house more and can tell when the air is stale.

Sometimes I would use a vanilla oil near the kitchen.

I can't stand spicy smells. They give me headaches. I run away from the scented store areas at Christmas. If someone boiled cloves and oranges or anything with cinnamon, I would probably turn around and head out. That house would be off the list for me.

I like the idea of lemon oil or mint. Who makes the apple scented cleaner? I haven't seen that.

The scents listed above are things that drive my eyes nuts. Even using lemon scented pledge gets me. Lavender is another scent along with "clean linen" scents.

If you do decide to do some sort of scent, be sure to open windows to get clean air in too. The house will retain a little bit of the scent you used but it won't be as strong.

I am always suspicious of any strong scents, be it cookies baking and other food smells, candles, potpourri, sprays, etc. as I think the seller is trying to cover up pets, tobacco, or other noxious odors.

I got into burning candles after my dad died. A lady I know used to tell me she was lighting candles for me, saying her prayers. I ended up buying some honeysuckle & lilac candles when hubby & I went away after losing both of our fathers. I started burning them because the scents remind me of my dad. Thankfully this forum made me realize that others might not like candles I burn for enjoyment; if we have 24 hours notice, I make sure not to burn them.

No smell is the best smell. Glade plug ins etc scream the house is otherwise stinky.

I always prefer that a stranger's house smell like "nothing". To sense the smell of other people and their belongings can be quite offensive to some people. Pet odor, smoke odor, stale musty odor, dinner, etc. It's bad enough to walk into a house that's hot and stuffy compared to what you're used to, much less one that smells funny, gives you a headache or makes you suspicious.

We were told that buyers liked our "non-smell" in the house, especially in the basement. That meant no flowery/spicy/fruity odors to cover up must/damp/funny stuff. It is kind of ironic because we DID put a "clean" scent on our furnace filter (it's a sheet that sticks onto the filter). We found that to work the best - it's kind of strong for the first day or two but afterwards, it's very subtle and often not noticeable.

We actually had a real estate agent walk in with refrigerated cookie dough and ask me where I kept my cookie sheets! He intended to make cookies during an open house. I was so shocked I just pointed to the cupboard and left. When we came back three hours later there was a plate of under-baked cookies on the counter and the house smelled weird. Apparently the guy didn't know how to follow the directions and didn't bake the cookies long enough. He also didn't sell the house. We re-listed with someone else when his contract expired.

I can always tell the difference between a bought tube of cookie dough cooking vs home made cookies - there is a distinct chemical scent with the tube cookies, and it doesn't seem to be brand dependent. Sugar cookie varieties are a lot worse than the chocolate chip, but both are just icky to me.

Whatever you do, NEVER EVER put any sort of scented crystals in the window sills or (yes, the PO did this) in the furnace ducts. Over a year and a half and the vinyl windows that had them still STINK, the ducts will have to be COMPLETELY replaced (they glued themselves on the surface - because of the heat and the nicotine the PO was trying to hide) and on days when my eyelids are puffy and my throat feels swollen, I would likely punch the PO if I ran into her.

I've had good luck with Febreeze Air Effects spray - it combines with free radicals hanging in the air and actually makes smells (from my cat's litter box, in this case) disappear. It doesn't have a strong smell of its own - just a very faint "mineral water" smell - that is, hardly any smell at all. When people visit my house and my cat comes out of hiding after 10 or 20 minutes they're always shocked: "you have a cat! but I didn't smell anything!" I haven't tried using it in the whole house (which, of course, the directions advise, the better to get you to use a whole lot and need to buy more) but it works great on a small room.

Fabric softener is a great and natural smell. The last two times the house was being shown, I washed a load of clothes and put in a little extra fabric softener than usual, and put them in the dryer. When I came back 45 minutes later, it still had that pleasant, clean smell.

Personally, I love the smell of baked chicken/turkey! It seems the buyers I get always come in the late afternoon. I might put a small 'cluck-cluck' in the oven next time!LOL

Lavender is my favorite if you really want a de-odorizer, but I have it in my head most people feel the home owner is trying to mask odors, especially if they see cats. I have two, one who will let himself be known by 'greeting' you at the front door, while the other hides in a cabinet. LOL

ultraviolet, I'm not sure I got where you stand on those scented crystals? Could you be a little clearer in your opinion of them...

I don't allow free radicals to hang around my house. I call the police right away to get them locked up.