Apartment Living: Finding the Right Place to Call Home

Only about 15 percent of American adults are smokers, which means that if you smoke and are attempting to sell your home, its smell may be unpleasant to the bulk of people interested in buying it. This doesn't mean that you should avoid trying to sell your home, but it does mean that you should take some steps to remove the odor of smoke before your property goes on the market. Even if you can't smell smoke inside the home, there's a good chance that people visiting it will—and the lingering smell could scare some people away. Here are some things to tackle that can help to reduce any lingering smell of smoke.

Deal With the Carpet

There are two approaches that you can take in regards to the carpet in the home. One is to hire a contractor to remove it and replace it, and other is to hire a cleaning service to deep clean the carpet. If you prefer the latter strategy, call a few companies and find one that guarantees its ability to remove the smell of smoke. If you can't find such a company or you're not happy with the end result, plan to replace the carpet.

Repaint the Walls

The walls of your home can absorb the smoke from your cigarettes over the years, which can be problematic on two levels. For starters, the smoke can linger in the paint and allow the smell of smoke to hang in the room. Additionally, smoke can actually affect the color of walls that are painted in light colors. You can address this problem by hiring a painting contractor to repaint all of the walls in your home.

Swap Your Furniture

Many types of furniture can also hold the smell of smoke, resulting in an unpleasant smell for non-smokers who visit your home once it goes on the market. It's not necessarily practical to throw away all of your furniture and replace it before you list your home for sale, as this strategy can be pricey.

Instead, contact a local home stager who can provide you with furniture for open houses and private viewings. The stager will likely want a guarantee that you won't smoke in the house while the furniture is present, but if you can commit to this rule, you'll have neutral-smelling furniture and may be able to get items that look better than what you own, too.

To learn more about these or other strategies, contact local real estate agencies.