The Sweet Smell of Success

About ten years ago, a British study found that residential properties for sale which had a welcoming homely baking/ cooking scent were more likely to influence the purchasing decision than like-for-like ‘fragrance-free’ homes, by subliming that very first impression.

The study therefore demonstrated that the property purchasing process went beyond the aesthetics and design parameters to tap into the potential buyer’s subconscious connecting our innermost feelings to our perception of what an ideal homely home should smell like, taking us to that safe and heart-warming place, perhaps back to our childhood and/ or happy entertaining memories.

Facts in hand, Crabtree & Evelyn went on to produce a home fragrance spray that would replicate the baking scent with the promise to turn any house or apartment into a coveted home.

Thankfully the human psyche is a bit more complex than a pschitt, and the smell alone is not the only decisive factor in purchasing a property, as our other senses play an important role. Our eyes will still initiate our opinion and most of the decision process, while the lovely smell might just come as the icing on the cake, helping us to finalise the decision. Although in my book, the smell of a household cleaner would certainly have a more convincing effect than that of a (chemical) pie.