The Sniff Test

I've rarely met a homeowner who thought the house they were selling smelled. Unfortunately, many do. Perhaps we don't smell our own stink. Those of us with cats often lose our ability to smell the litter box odor. The Washington Post discusses the impact of smell on the ability to sell a home. Frankly, I have mixed feelings on this one. If a house is carpetted, there are few smells that will linger after new carpet is installed and a coat of paint put on the walls. This makes the problem relatively minor for a buyer to remedy. Of course, some times whatever is smelling has soaked into the subfloor. When that happens, this can be a major issue. That said, the Agents who allowed the house to go on the market without the seller having an understanding of the smell have demonstrated their incompetence. One reason to use a Real Estate Agent is objective feedback about the condition of the home. This includes the smell. Perhaps these homes should have been painted and carpetted before prospective buyers stepped foot inside. Certainly, doing so puts a specific cost on the problem... as opposed to allowing potential buyers to "fantacisize" about the the cost...

-jbn