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[novamc1]

@Lucky Charm

@Campion

A recent story I read (I think in the Washington Post newspaper)  said a National Institutes of Health Study found that up to 30 percent of Americans suffer from "scent sensitivity," and the findings were backed up by a  separate university study.

I assume anyone who wants to read more on the subject can google "scent sensitivity" and probably find some research on it.

I hope the condo owner has been able to sell her unit without too much inconvenience, but i don't think removing a few scented items is a big sacrifice if those items  potentially  cut out 30 percent of the market for a particular property.

[blondegirl]

I could not make it through for the seven or eight minutes - in fact, I would not even consider buying it or going in if I smelled those scents because they are likely in the house for a very long time and I would have an asthma attack and a migraine. I would say this is a win-win for all if it does not occur. Your house can be spic and span and very clean but if you have toxic chemicals burning and sitting around it can be a lung irristant and cause folks major health problems. 

[homedecor1]

I completely understand your aunts situation BUT personally I am highly allergic to all these plug ins, potpourri and perfumes.

my friend asks me to sometimes watch her cat while they are away (or just to go over her house) my god she has these Joy Mangano forever scent sticks all over her house -- ugh!!! I can only stay in her home a few minutes, then I can't breathe.

Most of my friends realize how sensitive I am to scents and they graciously don't burn candles or air freshners while I'm there. I appreciate their consideration!

i don't shop many stores mainly Kirklands, Macy's -- it's a store I love but a few minutes in there, I start gagging. I was in Bed Bath and Beyond today I couldn't browse because I could barely breathe..I think those scent packages are all over the store and worse, even when you go outside your clothes smell like it!

Sometimes I had come home and shower and change my clothes! 

I recall when we had our home for sale we had already packed up most the house and the boxes, etc were stacked in the 2 car garage & finished basement, I recall our "first"

realtor asking us to rent a storage unit so potential buyers would not see clutter! And to pack up unused items, repaint, update kitchen, etc...we got rid of her ( I think she watched too much HGTV)

But the matter if your aunts home is not selling, personally, I don't think air freshners that's stopping her from getting a buyer it maybe her realtor! Fired our first one wasted 4 months within hiring and pricing it right sold in 3 weeks!

[novamc1]

I hate to bring disillusioning news, but advice from Realtors to declutter, clean up the interior and exterior, paint where needed and generally create the very best first impression.......pre-dates HGTV shows by about 100 years.  I was giving sellers this advice long before HGTV was invented---and so has every media article ever written about how to get the  most money and the fastest sale.

If you were trying to sell a used car on your own, would you wash it, clean it out, and  deodorize the interior if needed before putting it on the market??   Would you try to hide all the junk in the trunk  and think no one will notice?

I personally wouldn't have a problem with a seller neatly stashing boxes of packed up items in the garage.. Renting a storage unit is good if the seller does NOT pack up his clutter, has ugly/worn furniture that detracts from the home, or has too much furniture to enable buyers to see what they would be buying.  I've known rugs to be covering up some serious flooring problems.  This will only cause problems in the transaction later once it's discovered.

 I've noticed comments here indicating some  people believe TV influences what Realtors do or should do,  and how buying or selling is transacted  in real life. 

I've seen seen many  published interviews with agents commenting on the unrealism of those TV shows....Realtors repeatedly report they must work harder these days to dispel false public impressions of what it really takes  to get a deal done--all created by watching HGTV-type shows, house-flipping shows, etc. 

Many Realtors think those shows are just plain silly, not to mention contrived  and staged  for entertainment value, and like some Realtors have said, the shows are downright boring because they do not reflect reality.

.It will always be true (with or without TV) that move-in-ready homes get the most offers and  the highest prices.  Each seller must decide for himself/herself how far to go to get a favorable outcome in the real estate market.  Much also depends on whether you are selling in a buyer's market or a seller's market at the time, and how much competition you have from other sellers.

Agents can make mistakes in pricing, sellers can often encourage  or insist on making these mistakes themselves, but beating up on the real estate industry when a home won't sell won't  get anyone anywhere if the house isn't in tip-top saleable condition.  No agent in the world can make a buyer sign a contract for something he/she doesn't want--especially if another home down the street offers more for the money and less work to move into.

As always, these are my two cents........and I'm still waiting to collect those  pennies. LOL!

[stevieb]

Personally, I might suggest the realtor suggest to the potential buyer that she's free to come or not but that there will be no more accommodations made to her allergies. Then, I might also suggest to the realtor that he or she get off their duff and start marketing the place to less, uh, sensitive... potential buyers.

[tedEbear]

  @LuckyCharm------I  know exactly what you mean!! I was going to post same thing, however I think it is Tide, my always was detergent.,  The HE blends and these stooopid energy efficient washers has more to do with it. Probably the people like me putting in wrong amount of soap.  I don't use Tide anymore so the smell is only out in the great big world. GAG!!!!

 -----------tedEbear

[violann]

If you want to sell, you have to do what buyers want. That's really all there is to it.

If your Aunt has only had one "live" bidder perhaps she should ask her realtor if the home is priced to compete with previous sales in her area.

People often take the selling prices of their homes very personally, but bottom line-? It's ALL BUSINESS!!

[CANDLEQUEEN]

Update on my Aunt's situation! After careful thought she has decided to take her condo off of the market, and possibly re-list in the Spring! She has already told her realtor going forward, she will  not be removing candles and potpourri from her home for any potential buyers..She will however if someone has a sensitivity to scents, she will not light any candles the night before a showing. I think that is fair!!!!!!She said that if the buyer is interested in her condo and the nice sized rooms and the fact that it is move in ready, she will be more than willing to work with them. I think she will have a much better chance of selling in the Springtime, especially around here, houses don't move well in the winter months!!!!!! Thanks for all of your replies, I found them very interesting!!!!!! 

[Geri II]

We all can describe the "picky potential buyer" with all the adjectives we like and we would all be correct. .However, it is not getting your Aunt's house sold.

I was in a somewhat similar situation after the passing of my father while my parents were in FL for the winter season. I flew down to bring my mother up North. My mother could not continue to stay in FL because she did not drive. So the mission was...in one scant week, to ship her belongings up north, donate or sell the car and get the house on the market.

I picked up the yellow pages and selected a bevy or realtors at random. I scheduled a interview every 2 hours over the course of one day. I chose a woman who was a dynamo.... "totally hungry", energetic and willing to go the extra mile to get the exclusive listing. Her presentation was impressive; she stood head and shoulders above the other realtors.

This woman sold the house in 3 weeks furnished. She held several "open houses" and provided coffee/tea and cookies and paid for it out of her own pocket !

Providing you price your house to SELL, a good realtor can make all the difference. You may wish to aid your Aunt in selecting a realtor.

[novamc1]

@Geri II

Congrats on getting the property sold so quickly.  The big difference between your sale and some others that don't go so well or don't happen at all  is that you were a serious seller.

  And by the way, marketing expenses (open houses, cookies, etc.) always come out of an agent's own pocket.  That's why they like to work with serious sellers who are willing to  do their part to get a property in marketable condition and priced correctly  so that  purchasers will want to buy..... and who  aren't going to pull the property off the market after the agent has made an investment of time and money.

Most of the best agents (who have only so much time in a day) will carefully assess the motivation of prospective clients before accepting the job of working with them.  The best agents don't waste their time with too many unmotivated ones.