SMELL-O-RAMA

Scented candles, plug-in/solid/spray air fresheners don't ever really help...they always just combine with and accentuate dirty house/cooking/pet odors. My friend Miki always says that a clean house never smells...and she's right.  My partner Michael is quite the cook but I usually hate the odors afterwards...sometimes a glass bowl of white vinegar set on the kitchen counter left overnight does the trick and sometimes it doesn't. Ventilation/airing out is key for bath, kitchen, basement, attic, closets, laundry room. Don't forget the epicenter of stink...the carpeting and the dog's favorite couch.  Have them professionally cleaned prior to marketing the property.  A quick shot of  fresh air from an open window does a lot even in a small amount of time before a showing.  Move gym clothes and those classic sneakers you can't part with from your closet to the basement or garage (mine go in the car trunk) before a showing.  If you smoke, do it outside while your house is on the market, sorry. Buyers have a visceral reaction to odors and they don't care if you have granite counters if your house stinks.