Preparing Your Alberta Home for Showings: Handle Odours at the Source

Start before photography day

Odours deserve a place on your preparation list before the photographer arrives. Starting early gives you time to wash fabrics, let cleaned surfaces dry, and investigate anything that keeps returning before buyers begin visiting.

For sellers in Calgary and Grande Prairie, the useful starting point is the same: find the source. Health Canada recommends reducing indoor pollutant sources and improving ventilation. A stronger fragrance does not tell you whether the original problem has been resolved.

Sources: Health Canada: Improve indoor air quality in your home

A few days ahead: trace ordinary household smells

Walk through the home before introducing cleaning scents. Note where an odour is strongest and when it appears, such as after cooking or when the furnace starts. Ask someone who does not live there to give you a candid second impression.

• Empty food waste and clean the bin itself. Check forgotten leftovers and spills around appliances.
• Wash pet bedding, throws and removable covers according to their care labels. Vacuum upholstered areas and address identifiable pet accidents with a product appropriate for the material.
• Launder damp towels and dishcloths. Allow washed fabrics and cleaned surfaces to dry fully before putting them away.

Follow product labels and ventilation directions. Never mix bleach with other cleaning products, including vinegar or ammonia-based cleaners. If a smell persists, avoid repeatedly adding different products while guessing at the cause.

Sources: Health Canada: Never mix bleach with other cleaning products

Pause when an odour needs assessment

Persistent mustiness, damp materials or water staining deserve investigation. Health Canada advises consulting a professional when strong musty odours are present without an obvious source. Moisture problems need to be corrected to prevent mould from returning. A cleaning appointment or fresh coat of paint cannot establish that an underlying problem is fixed.

If a musty odour appears with the heating or cooling system and continues after appropriate filter maintenance, arrange qualified assessment. Avoid opening walls or disturbing suspected mould just to meet a photography deadline.

Suspected natural gas is urgent: leave immediately, avoid electrical switches and devices, and call your utility or 911 from a safe location. Do not continue investigating or preparing for visitors.

Sources: Health Canada: Guide to addressing moisture and mould indoors; City of Calgary: What to do during a gas leak

The day before: plan pets, meals and cleaning

Finish substantial cleaning early enough that everything can dry. Arrange a comfortable place for pets during appointments and clean their usual areas. Moving a litter box or pet bed temporarily will not address residue left behind.

Plan meals around the appointment so you have time to wash dishes and clear cooking waste. Use your range hood while cooking; Health Canada identifies it as a way to reduce cooking-related pollutants and moisture.

Skip the last-minute layer of plug-in fragrance, scented sprays or candles. Aim for a home visitors can assess without an overpowering added scent. Health Canada also recommends limiting candles and incense.

Sources: Health Canada: Improve indoor air quality in your home; Health Canada: Cooking and indoor air quality

Appointment day: ventilate and recheck

Do a short reset: remove fresh food waste, wash dishes, replace damp towels and check pet areas. Ventilate using kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans as appropriate. Open windows only when weather and outdoor air quality permit; avoid bringing smoky or polluted outdoor air inside.

Before leaving, check that cleaning products are put away and follow your agreed window and security plan. If an unexplained odour has returned, tell your REALTOR. Decide whether assessment or a change to the appointment is needed rather than spraying over it.

Sources: Health Canada: Improve indoor air quality in your home

Keep preparation honest

Never use scent, paint or furnishings to conceal a known issue. RECA's rules require a seller's real estate licensee to disclose known material latent defects to buyers. Whether a particular problem meets that definition depends on the facts.

Tell your REALTOR about recurring odours, moisture concerns and past repairs. Keep assessment reports and repair records together, and obtain legal advice when disclosure obligations are unclear. A pleasant-smelling room is not proof that a defect has been resolved.

Sources: RECA: Real Estate Act Rules, sections 1(1)(t), 57(i) and 58.1