Having a tidy and picture-perfect abode is not the only element in the process of selling a home. Essential oils and real estate are the latest and greatest marriage.
The magic of oils being diffused can expel a home of stale scents while establishing a refreshing and clean aroma that sets a positive tone and experience for the potential buyer.
Aroma has a grand impact on the home-buying process, therefore selecting the right scent is the first step. Researcher Eric Spangenberg of Washington State University noted that complex smells, like baked goods, can be a distraction to potential home buyers because they will subconsciously dedicate time to try to figure out what the scent is. But at a real estate open house, you want a potential buyer not to be distracted by processing a smell. For an aroma to work properly scents must be subtle – lemon, pine or orange – aiming for pleasant and natural rather than powerful and toxic like an air freshener spray.
In the Australian chapter of realestate.com, they ran a test with forty-four prospective home buyers and arranged them into separate groups to view the same home on different occasions with the aroma of baked goods, fresh coffee, and citrus.
The end results indicated that citrus was more popular with the majority due to the simplicity and freshness it offered the space, while baked goods evoked feelings of confusion or hunger and deterred the buyers from purchasing the property.
Dr. Megan Thornton, a lecturer in food science at Deakin University acknowledges the past belief of baking cookies or doing a Sunday roast as the scent to sell, but “today’s research is showing the simple, subtle scents are most effective. These aromas have to be ambient in that you do not notice them; they are in the background gently awakening simple, clean type memories.” When people connect an aroma with a joyful life event, this impact becomes the secret ingredient to selling a home.
So, next time you’re looking for a place to rent, buy or sell, consider how a faint scent may impact a prospective deal.
If you want to learn about essential oils and real estate, please feel free to contact me for a phone call or a Skype chat.