Top Tips on Smelling your home!

Top Tips on Smelling your home!

No no, it’s not a typo… we meant to write ‘smell’. Everyone’s heard the old tricks of brewing coffee and baking bread to sell a home – but did you know that 75% of emotions that we generate on a daily basis are associated with scent? With this is in mind, it’s easy to understand why smell is very important when selling your home… but knowing which scents to pick? Well these top tricks from the experts on which smells help us buy (or indeed, sell!), could help…

It’s easy to remember the last time you jumped out your car and was hit in the face by a beautifully warm smell of baking – it makes you hungry whilst whisking you back to your childhood stood pulling on your mother’s apron strings… supermarkets are clever, they play with your emotions and make you hungry before you can even see the food! But have you noticed that smell doesn’t hang around long once you’re through the door? That, of course, is intentional!

Scientists have found that although the delicious infused scents of vanilla and chocolate chip cookies motivates us (particularly women who are 17% more likely to want to buy sweet things on smelling a sweet scent), it also distracts us which means we are unable to perform cognitive tasks to the same ability. This is because these infused, and more complex, smells take longer for our brains to recognize and associate with – subconsciously taking up more of your ‘mental bandwidth’ than necessary. Whereas the simple smells such as just ‘orange’, allow for easier mental processing speeds.

Before blasting out a ‘one smell suits all’ candle & air freshener… it may be key to note that scent is dependent on gender. For instance it’s been found that vanilla encourages women to purchase items and spend more money (whereas men are more likely to not spend money when smelling vanilla) and men prefer rose scents when being asked to part with their cash. With this in mind, we can suddenly see how it’ll be hard to please all potential buyers…
Take a moment and look at your style of property. Is it a swanky new pad, or older and traditional.

If you’re unsure, consider asking the advice from your Estate Agent.

Now take this information and accompany the right smell to the home you’re selling. If you’re selling the family dream with a cosy cottage home, consider memories which may be associated with such a property. Warm apple pie and cinnamon scents can help create the homely feel. But if you have a new build property with more crisp design, consider white tea and fig – this scent has a clean and fresh smell that has been described by aroma experts as soothing and luxurious.  

Alex Evans

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Prime London sellers return to market

The latest analysis from Beham and Reeves has found that the number of homes listed for sale at £2m or above across Prime Central London increased during the second quarter of 2026, although performance continues to vary considerably between the capital’s most prestigious neighbourhoods.   Benham and Reeves analysed current Prime Central London property listings…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

What to know when buying land

The closure of UK Land & Farms (UKLAF) has left a significant gap in the UK’s specialist land market with buyers and sellers now forced to adapt after 18 years of relying on UKLAF as the cornerstone of the industry. As interest in land continues to grow, the company says the closure also serves as…
Read More
Letting Agent Talk

Tenant demand strong, landlord supply shrinking

New RICS data shows tenant demand at its strongest in over a year – while landlord supply keeps shrinking. That’s not bad luck. It’s a trust problem, and it’s fixable. “These numbers should be good news for landlords. Demand is the strongest it’s been in over a year. Instead, they are deciding to head for…
Read More
Letting Agent Talk

Why Join a Letting Agents Association?

Why Every Letting Agent Should Join a Professional Body The lettings industry continues to evolve, with new legislation, increasing compliance requirements and higher expectations from landlords and tenants alike. For letting agents, staying informed and operating to recognised professional standards has never been more important. Joining a letting agents association provides far more than a membership…
Read More
Breaking News

House price growth remained subdued in July

UK annual house price growth slowed to 1.8% in July, from 2.2% in June House prices were up 0.1% month on month Average time in a home is 14 years: 24 years for those owning outright and 5 years in private rented sector Three quarters of moves were within same tenure type in 2024/25 Headlines…
Read More
Breaking News

Rent hikes and tighter tenant checks as landlord costs climb

Rising costs are prompting 63% of professional landlords to raise rents, prioritise lower-risk tenants and reassess portfolios Renters face a more expensive and more selective rental market as professional property investors respond to re-emergence of realistic gilt yields, rising operating costs and regulatory change by increasing rents and reassessing tenant risk and selection criteria, according…
Read More