The Trick Realtors Use To Make Homes Smell Amazing

Fortunately, there’s an easier way to make your home smell amazing that busy real estate professionals have been relying on for years. And it’s not just for open houses; you can use this trick to scent your space before a party or to mask lingering cooking smells.

Fake It Till You Bake It

Pour 1 to 2 tablespoons of pure vanilla extract — not imitation vanilla — and 1/2 cup of water into an oven-safe dish or ramekin. Preheat the oven to a low temperature, ideally 275 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the oven reaches your desired temperature, place the dish on the center or bottom rack, and let it “bake” for 30 to 60 minutes. The warm scent of vanilla will fill your home within 10 to 20 minutes. When the timer goes off, you can turn off the oven, crack the door, and allow the scent to continue permeating the air.

Customize the Scent

Much like with simmer pots, you can add ingredients to your vanilla ramekin to customize the scent. An easy addition is lemon zest, which you can grate directly into the dish. For best results, use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of fresh zest — any citrus fruit will do. You can also experiment with warm spices by introducing cinnamon sticks or ground nutmeg. For a vanilla latte-like scent, sprinkle a tablespoon of whole coffee beans over your vanilla and water mixture.

Just make sure that the ingredients you add can withstand up to an hour in the heat of the oven, as you don’t want them to burn.

Tips and Cautions

Before turning on the oven, double-check your ramekin or dish to make sure it really is oven-safe. You can’t be too careful in this regard.

When the oven is on, the one thing you don’t want to do is accidentally leave it on for too long, which is an easy mistake to make when you’re not actually cooking food. Make sure you set a timer, and take the vanilla out after 60 minutes at most. This will keep the vanilla from burning, and the pleasant scent will still linger after you take it out of the oven.