10 scents that could help sell your home

5th October 2022

It might seem a bit far-fetched to think that a particular scent in your home might help it to sell faster. While it’s true that a freshly baked batch of chocolate chip cookies may make your home smell yummy, surely it couldn’t literally be responsible for selling your home?

Of course, even the most wildly attractive of scents couldn’t hypnotise potential buyers into ignoring rising damp or collapsing ceilings. Still, with a well-presented home in good condition, the right scents might just evoke that extra ounce of emotion required to get a buyer over the line.

Buying a home is usually an emotional decision - not necessarily made upon emotion alone, but still, a meaningful step in life for an individual, couple or family. Consequently, it stands to reason that evoking positive emotions during property viewings can affect buyer psyche. Research does demonstrate that our sense of smell trumps all others when it comes to evoking memories.

According to a recent survey of 1,500 UK homeowners, these are the top ten scents that would make someone feel more inspired to buy a home.

1. Freshly baked bread

No surprises for the number one spot - some things just never change!

A significant 37% of the survey participants reported that the age-old feel-good scent of freshly baked bread is the scent most likely to win them over. This scent takes many back to simpler times, especially if bread was baked at home in their youth, of course. Either way though, it’s a particularly comforting aroma, a quintessential scent evoking feelings of nostalgia and general yumminess.

2. Fresh linen

Missing out on the top spot by a fraction is the scent of fresh linen, a fragrance voted for by 36% of those surveyed.

3. Freshly brewed coffee

Coffee-lovers may be confused that this one didn’t rank higher, but still, freshly brewed coffee was the number one scent for 27% of people. While we Brits may be famous for our affection for tea, the strong scent of a freshly brewed coffee is so much stronger, and associated with feelings of comfort, optimism and feeling energised.

4. New carpet

Nothing says ‘newly renovated house’ like the scent of a brand new carpet, so it’s little surprise that this scent would have 25% of people thinking about making an offer.

5. Freshly cut grass

In a nation that battles through its fair share of dreary winter weather, what could be better than the scent of freshly cut grass. This scent evokes nostalgic feelings of younger days out enjoying the summer weather and creates an all-round positive, buyer-friendly feeling for 25% of those surveyed.

6. Vanilla

Vanilla came up trumps for 22% of people thanks to its light, sweet, pure and clean scent that conjures up feelings of comfort and optimism. The fragrance is thought to help relieve feelings of stress and anxiety, making a home feel calm and tranquil. The word may get a bad rap for being associated with all things boring or bland, but the scent works wonders for selling homes.

7. Roses

Not only do plants and flowers add vibrance and beauty to a home, but many also infuse the area with compelling scents. The fragrance of roses was a popular home-buying scent for 19% of people - if you have them blooming in the garden, all the better.

8. Hot apple pie

The sweet scent of baked apples! The delicious scent of freshly baked pastry! Need we say more? The scent of hot apple pie was a winner for 14% of participants. This is comfort food scent at its best.

9. Cleaning products

13% of people cited cleaning products as one of the scents that could give them a nudge in the direction of buying a home. While some do have a pleasant aroma, we can only assume that it is the combination of added fragrance and the unmistakable scent of active cleaning ingredients that instil confidence in potential buyers - nobody wants to buy a dirty home.

10. Freshly baked birthday cake

Perhaps cake in general would also do the job; nevertheless, 11% of people reportedly specified that freshly baked birthday cake would be a seductive home-buying scent.

Make sure the house befits the winning scent

As we mentioned before, no amount of freshly baked goodies will make up for a house in disrepair. To sell your home fast, as well as adding a winning scent, make sure you:

Clean your property thoroughly
Keep it well maintained (stay on top of repairs)
Tidy the garden and don’t neglect its curb appeal
Consider updating the bathroom and kitchen
Redecorate anything too bold - opt for neutral tones
Invest some time and money into home staging

According to our research, home staged homes sell 73% faster than their non-staged counterparts, plus staged homes also command an 8% higher asking price.