Yes!! This is definitely the house. You've seen the listing, driven past it several times, discussed it with your realtor, friends and even your bank. Now to actually go inside and decide who gets what bedroom. The door opens, and Whoa....the deal is off. What went wrong?

We live in our homes and take it's scents for granted and are probably not even aware of them. They can tell a lot not just about how the family lives, but more importantly if there are areas of real concern. Give your home a thorough clean and air it well. This may take care of cooking odours, but pet odours may require more attention. Do the carpet and furniture need to be cleaned? This is relatively inexpensive and you could probably do it yourself. Other odours that may not be so easy to track down or eliminate include mould or mildew. Areas that tend to be prime sites are anywhere near water. Check under sinks, around bathtubs and toilets. Move the fridge and stove away from the wall for a better inspection. Wash and deodorize all the garbage cans in the house. Sills around windows, especially older style ones can collect a black film that is also a form of mould.

You may not be able to smell this one, but get out the cleaner and get rid of it! Closet spaces are also home for odours - you keep your shoes in there, right? And that leads us to the laundry room. Need I say more?

Once you have identified the odours in your home you will need to find what products and methods will handle them best. For most simple cleaning, a pail of warm water and good old sudsy ammonia is usually is enough. Other persistent odours, or ones associated with bacteria, mould or mildew require tougher solutions.

Take your list of location specific odours to a builders supply store, or a retail outlet that has a large range of cleaning fluids. Once your house has been cleaned and all bacteria eliminated there is only one thing left to do.

Let the house air out for a day and then close it up for the night. Leave you house for part of the next day, and when you open the door what do you smell? Nothing. Great! You've thoroughly cleaned the house and your next buyer will come all the way in.