Selling Charlotte homes with issues can be challenging. Selling Charlotte real estate with overwhelming odors is not the only issue at hand. Other issues that come up deal with a home's interior paint colors. Home owners with unruly pets and homebuyers that are allergic to those pets also pose their own set of selling problems. Most home sellers issues can be addressed with creative solutions as well as some forethought. The objective for selling the Charlotte home is to get it sold. The goal of a Charlotte home buyer is to find a property that fits their needs. If elbow grease and creative solutions are what it takes, so be it.
Claude Cross
Claude Cross
704-975-1733
 JCross
Jane Francis Cross 704-608-0228
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6420 A1 Rea Road Suite 359, Charlotte NC 28277

 Licensed in both North and South Carolina-

Serving Charlotte Real Estate Needs Since 1994

Charlotte Stinky House-Selling a Home with Issues



We Can Smell It-Can We Sell It?


Nice house but it stinks.

Oh, the formidable duty of telling someone, in the best possible manner, that the smell of their home, will kill the sale.

If you can smell it,  you can't sell it. We are not talking Vanilla.

My clients had a beautiful house here in Charlotte that was wonderfully decorated and nicely staged.

When I listed it, they must have aired the house out, because it was odor free.

I later found out, they had exotic tastes in cooking.

Comments were slow in coming on feedback form the showing agents, that there was a problem.

Posts like - "not what we were looking for" turned blunt into " strong odor".  The feedback is meant to be helpful.

The same feedback came in several times, which to me, means there must be a little something to it.

I have buyer agents feedback  directly and automatically emailed to  my clients. They  were reading, what I was reading.

I  called my sellers.  I thought it a good time to meet with them at their home and see if I could pick up on an odor.

As I walk in... BAM ! PU.

Airing the Home Out

Seems they like to cook a lot, and the venue was heavy in curry (which can be overpowering).

The house was impeccable, but the odor would peel paint. 

What to say? 

Gingerly I told my clients that "although you can't smell the problem, I can."

Sort of like someone clueless about their own bad breath. An awkward thing to address, but the objective here is to get the home sold for the seller.

I made a suggestion that they "air the house out after culinary delights" and "Please use Fragrances to "create an air of pleasing calm".

The husband quickly said " So what you are telling us is that our house stinks!"

My response was "Exactly".

They actually took it well, and operation odor free was underway.

Two weeks later we were under contract.
Ah, the delicate art of smell.

Olfactory fixes. Can you relate?

Now this post isn't aimed at home cooking or any type of food.

It's a reminder that we all become accustomed to our environment.

In doing, we can be oblivious to certain smells.

This goes for pets, babies, smokers, and meth-labs.

Let the fresh air in.

And if you don't have "fresh air" throw some PLEASANT fragrance around. But...NOT TOO MUCH!!!

Revenge of the Fleas


They had pets.

Note to self: Remind sellers to Bug bomb their house after moving out.

Based on the Charlotte MLS(tm) data, the house had been vacant for quite a few weeks.

Unknowingly, the little buggers were there and hungry. Fresh meat walked into the house as I began showing my buyers this home.

Conversation ran positive on the layout and good vibes were being felt by my clients.

Then the little dinks from the happy crowd below began to occur. Positive turned quickly to negative.

We had entered into a home with pets-the flea circus.

Needless to say it was time to exit -  stage left.

Upon getting to the car, I urged my homebuyers  to allow me to literally brush them off.

Note to self: I will now carry some form of insecticide in the car.

Seriously, If you have pets, chances are possible that fleas may be present. It's not nice to have the prospective home buyer being bit, by the dog...or the flea.

Fleas reproduce very rapidly as well as many other insects.

Save yourself the sale by simply having an extermination done after moving out.

You don't want potential sales to flee before giving your house a chance.

If you are bugged by the present market, not to worry, solutions abound.

Give us a Call! 704-975-1733