Baking cookies for an open house?

[FemWoman]

We are selling our house and this weekend there will be an open house. The EA said to make the house smell nice ahaha so I thought about it and was thinking that baked cookies are something easy to make, smell nice and a nice snack for anyone viewing the house.

Is this a bit strange or tacky as an idea?

What do you think?

Seems a bit twee.

Maybe I'm cynical but I would wonder what smell you are trying to hide.

It wouldn’t have swayed me and I used to hate it when the homeowner was there during the viewing.

No food smells is ideal

I wouldn’t eat anything a stranger had made. And the smell would suggest to me that you were trying to hide the smell of something else.

I dont want the home owner there while Im viewing and also dont want someone thinking they can essentially manipulate me and play tricks

Puts me off

It's an okay idea however plain ones, not chocolate, as warm choc smell can be a bit sickly.
Stay away from nuts if you are sharing them

Are you going to be there?

To be honest, my aim would be for the house to smell of absolutely nothing. No air fresheners, no candles, no baking, just open the windows for a bit beforehand.

Yes, hiding a smell would be my first thought.

When my grandparents house was for sale, there was one day when my teenage sister and I had to hang out at the house all day while my parents did viewing for prospective purchasers. The house was old and unloved and hard to sell. We were bored so we made gingerbread which smelt great. And that day the house sold! So there might be something in it.

Thank you.
Im not trying to hide any smells, but i dont like candles or the plug in aroma things so this was an alternative to it all.

By the way if there is a bad smell in a house, no amount of cookie baking will hide it. :)

I also won't be in the house. I will bake them earlier and leave.

I understand the mixed response. I also think if I went to a viewing and saw a plate of cookies I maybe in two minds whether they are being desperate or nice. :)

Yep, hiding a smell. I would be looking round for signs of mould or damp. Maybe wondering if the neighbours smoke cigs or weed in the garden. Or maybe I would need to shell out for a drains survey.

But then I am very pragmatic about house buying and tend not to be swayed by decor, furniture etc. It’s the walls, floors, roof, windows and foundations I’m buying. That’s what I am interested in.

The best thing you can do is air your house. All doors and windows open for a good half hour before first appointment. Unless like us, you live near farm land and it’s muck spreading week!

Reminds me of a house I viewed where the bedroom window was open on a not very warm day. No smell but I had a closer look and lo and behold, there were signs of hastily cleaned up damp.

Think I’m alone here but all I can think of is people getting crumbs all over the house as they walk around eating them😂🤦🏼‍♀️

My biggest fear is them coming in with dirty shoes. Ew. Crumbs on the carpet is quite ghastly idea also ahahaha

The best way to make a home smell good is to regularly clean it thoroughly, keep windows open as much as possible, and especially change all bedding very often. Including washing mattress/pillow protectors and the duvets themselves.

I remember an open house where the owner had done this. They had 4-5 different types of goods on offer. Nobody ate anything !

I wouldn’t suspect a cover up. Nasty smells from drains are going to be far more powerful than some banana muffins or whatever.

If you don’t want potential buyers to wear shoes on the viewing, just tell the EA and they will be asked to remove them.

Have all the windows cracked open, empty and clean all bins, maybe have either scented flowers (not lilies, some people hate them) or freshly made bread or coffee.

Have you been watching Clueless? 😆

I think maybe a bit dated. Open all the windows wide for half an hour, then adjust the temp if needed.