More and more often these days I walk into a house and the first impression is.....

OMG! Phew! What is that awful smell?!

Now, to be fair, most of these homes are vacant. (Over 3/4 of the homes I show these days are vacant!) And, a closed up vacant house will always start to smell, over time.

Some of the smells I regularly encounter:

• Mildew
• Mold
• Pet urine
• Cigarette smoke
• Dead, rotting animals

There are plenty of others, many of them not easily identified.

If you're a homeowner, selling a vacant home, either you or your agent should be checking from time to time to see if the home has acquired any unfortunate odors.

Keep the air conditioning running! I know you're not living there and hate paying the bills, but, believe me, what you'll net in a better offer is more than you'll lose on paying those bills.

If there are some stubborn odors, take steps to remedy them. Get rid of drapes, have carpets professionally cleaned, consider getting an air purifier.

By the way, adding really smelly air fresheners is not the same as taking care of the problem!

Remember, the sense of smell is powerful and has a major influence on our emotions. No one falls in love with a stinky house! Even if they still buy it, the price went down the minute they opened the door and smelled the place!

If you're considering putting your house on the market, consider having a friend or neighbor give you an honest assessment of what they smell when they first walk in the house. This can be a delicate area so make sure they know they have your permission to be brutally honest!

And, if your agent tells you there's an odor problem that needs to be dealt with, don't waste any time in dealing with it. There's a house down the street that smells just fine and is also for sale!