NEWS COPY
Instead of filling the air with the scent of fresh-baked cookies, as real-estate agents often advise, maybe sellers should consider making a pot of coffee instead to put potential buyers in the right frame of mind.
According to a nationwide survey of 1,000 adults, just-brewed coffee is the smell that makes us feel most at home. Homemade cookies also passed the sniff test, coming in second. Clean sheets had a fair share of fans, coming in third, while two other food-related items, pot roast and spaghetti sauce, rounded out the top five.
"There are few scents that are as comforting and invigorating as coffee, especially in the morning," says grower and roaster Darron 'Don Pablo' Burke of CafeDonPablo.com, which conducted the survey. "The aroma is synonymous with starting anew, another chance to get things done and to enjoy another day."
The daily ritual of preparing and serving a pot of coffee also stirs up fond family memories for many.
"It reminds me of when I used to live with my parents and my dad, when he was alive, getting up and brewing coffee first thing in the morning," said one respondent. "Even now, that smell brings me back to my growing-up years and memories of my father, who I still miss so much."
The smell of baked cookies also has the power to arouse deep emotions. As one survey participant said, "Baking cookies and having the smell in the house says 'love' to me. When you take the time to do something special for someone, it makes such a difference."
Those who chose clean sheets as their favorite homey scent tend to value comfort ("It gives me a sense of relaxation when I smell it") and cleanliness in general ("I have always associated the smell of clean sheets with a clean home and environment, and that to me is what home needs to smell like, nice and clean").
Of course, not all smells are welcome in the house. A quarter of respondents picked cigarette smoke as the scent that most offends. The nasty odor wafting from a full garbage can came in at No. 2. That feline necessity, the litter box, was third. Also raising a stink was mold and mildew at No. 4 followed by last night's fish dinner in fifth place.
As for the preferred method of removing or at least masking unpleasant smells, it was close to a three-way tie between scented candles, air freshener and simply opening a window. And more than 70 percent of survey takers are diligent about making their home smell nicer, either using such methods daily or several times a week.
The most important time to make sure that their home smells nice? When guests visit, of course. But slightly more than 90 percent of the respondents consider maintaining their home's nose appeal either important or very important on a regular basis. One survey taker's reply spoke for many: "A nice smelling home represents me as a person and the fact that I take good care of things that are important to me."
Coffee was also selected as the aroma that most people would want to wake up to for the rest of their life, followed by clean sheets and other choices such as pine, cooking bacon and fresh-cut flowers.
"Unlike other scents, having a cup of coffee is often as much of the routine of waking up as brushing your teeth or showering," says Burke of Don Pablo. "Many would consider the day incomplete if it didn't start with the smell of coffee."
What smells usually makes you feel most at home?
1. Fresh-brewed coffee
2. Baked cookies
3. Clean sheets
4. Pot roast
5. Spaghetti sauce
6. Cut flowers
7. Perfume
8. Pine tree
9. Furniture polish
10. New carpet
What home smells are the worst offenders?
1. Cigarette smoke
2. A full garbage can
3. Litter box
4. Mold and mildew
5. Fish
6. Wet dog
7. Gas leak
8. Dirty clothes
9. Sweat
10. Onions and garlic
ENDS
