Autumn brings with it the warmth of so many memories – red leaves falling, acorns brushing by in the wind, chunky knit sweaters, the bounty of apples and pumpkins picked in golden hills bursting with summer harvest. You can share this classic time of year’s memories by appealing to one of the most emotive of human senses – the sense of smell. They say it is the sense connected most to emotion and memory, so it would be a shame to leave it out entirely of your open house experience for potential buyers.

One quick way to make your home smell wonderful is to put sticks of cinnamon, whole vanilla bean pods, and sugar on a pan with a little butter in the oven. The sweet smell will fill up your whole place and give visitors the sense that they are walking into a memory of all the good, warm fall days they had a kid. It also brings in the mood-boosting effects of warm vanilla, which is known to make people feel more comfortable and relaxed. 

Another one of the most lovable autumn scents is apple and sandalwood. Buying candles with the smell and putting them around the home can give an elegant smell that can last for hours throughout your home. Apple is especially known to be energizing and can put some pump in your step while showing off your home to potential buyers. 

Another fun way to bring gentle scents into your home is to soak cotton balls in the desired scent – for example, try some hazelnut and vanilla extract – and hide them around the home, behind photos or under stacks of towels, to give a discreet but uplifting sense of fall spirit to different rooms. This can also work well with other scents, especially essential oils. 

Wood smells, like fir, pine, acorn, maple, can really make any place smell relaxing and warm, giving your open house an inviting touch with every door that is opened.

With all that being said, location is everything when placing those lovely scents throughout your home. Hidden somewhere near the entryway is essential, to give visitors the immediate impression that your home is an intentional place with a specific mood created. Every room can have a different scent if need be, but try to keep together a common theme, like a fall mood if you will. 

The colors and themes of the rooms allow the scent to tie the experience of potential buyers together. Ensure the whole visit is compelling from start to finish by using autumn-themed colors if you can where appropriate, with warm yellows, deep greens, chestnuts, dark browns, and enticing reds. Decorative gourds, like pumpkins and squash, along with pine cones, acorns, and branches, can give small corners a boost in scent and memory for those coming by. Leaf and tree patterns can further bring the theme home on dish towels, rugs, wall art, and even wreaths. However you decide to tie your open house together for fall, just remember to include scent in your tour!