What Is That Smell? | Journey Home Lending

You secured your mortgage loan, went through a home inspection and closed on the house of your dreams. Now you’ve moved in—and your family quickly noticed something that the home inspection didn’t catch. It smells in here.

While this is an unfortunate predicament, it isn’t an uncommon one. Odors may not be obvious when the previous owners are still residing in the house, so your nose may not prick up at them until the building is empty.

But once the old owners move out and you prepare to move in, you may pick up on smells from pets, old fragrances or even mold. What now?

Our team at Journey Home Lending wants to offer a few suggestions on how to rid your house of that funny smell and get on to living your best life! Read on.

Step 1: Determine the Source

Follow your nose! Keep sniffing around until you’re able to nail down what you’re smelling and what caused it.

Knowing the underlying cause of the odor will help you determine a strategy for getting rid of it. It may be a simple fix, or if the problem is more pervasive, like mold growth, you will need to take more advanced steps.

Step 2: Try to Air It Out

Throw open the windows and doors—and turn on all the fans! Often, moving the air will be enough to get rid of a smell. In addition to your ceiling fans, you might want to rent or purchase a large industrial fan.

This large fan can be placed on the ground floor of your home and aimed upward, which will more forcefully move the air around and out.

Step 3: Clean the Carpets & Walls

Odors can get stuck on surfaces, so call in the heavy cleaning artillery. Your carpets need a deep-cleaning, and your walls should also be scrubbed down.

Use baking soda in your cleaning, since it’s a common and potent deodorizer. You may also find that leaving open boxes of baking soda around the house can be a helpful fix.

Step 4: Consider Hiring Experts

Smell still isn’t hitting the road, despite your best efforts? Reach out to specialists in odor removal.

These experts can use advanced technologies and techniques to root out the underlying cause of the odor and remove it from your house, even if it’s permeated the walls or the carpets.

Ready to make your dream house a reality? Get in touch today to start the process toward mortgage approval!