Recently I accidentally went to the same open house by accident. The house is in an expensive part of the bay area and beyond my means to buy. The first time I accidentally visited it, I was overwhelmed by the smell. It can only be described as a mix of mold and cat and dog shit aged over maybe 20 years.
I left before I can complete my conversation with the realtor.
Today, I accidentally visited it again, having researched the area for the first time, the price actually doesn't seem so bad.
This time, there was a man at the house. He has a Crockpot slow cooker cooking a beautifully golden chicken with a rosemary at the top.
That is such a great touch!
Previously, when visiting houses that smelled bad, the approach was to use scented candles, which can mask decades of smoking very effectively.
But that is too obvious as compared to a cooking chicken. It gives the visitor a sense that people actually live in this house, and enjoys their lives. And it serves to mask that horrible smell. (The aroma of cooked chicken permeates the whole house, so I actually walked all the way through)
Very good!
