There are some legitimate reasons why buyers may pass up a home, such as the price is too high or it's obvious the house needs work. However, there are some equally odd excuses why your home is just not appealing to the masses. Here are two that may be hurting your chances of selling and what you can do to overcome them.

It Smells Bad

When you are actively living in your home, it's easy to forget how it smells. Science even has a name for this phenomenon; it's called nose blindness. When you're in a place for a long period of time, your nose blocks out how it smells after awhile. Unfortunately, buyers who tour the home will get the full brunt of its various odors, which they may find significantly off-putting for a variety of reasons.

Some buyers may be concerned it will take a lot of money and effort to eliminate the smells. Others may feel the bad smells indicate there are bigger problems with the home. For instance, mold gives off a musty odor, and buyers may be scared away if they think that's what hiding in your walls.

Have a friend or family member tell you if your home is smelly, and fix the problem if that's the case. For instance, if you have a pet, shampooing carpets and moving pet items to an inaccessible part of the home (e.g. the garage) could eliminate the associated smells. If you can't figure out where the bad smell is coming from, have the home inspected to determine if you have mold or other unsavory things hiding in your walls.

They Don't Like Your Renovations

Another reason why you may be having a hard time selling your home is potential buyers do not like the renovations you made. It's common for people to customize their homes to suit their needs and preferences. If you've made unusual changes, however, buyers may find them undesirable. For instance, converting a room into an extra-large walk-in closet to hold your massive wardrobe may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but people with kids would've preferred that room remain a bedroom.

A real estate agent can tell how appealing a particular home renovation will be. If the agent thinks it may be harder to sell the home as it, your options may be to reconvert the space back to what it was or consider reducing the price of the home. There may be people out there who will like the home as it is. Keep in mind that the more unusual the renovation the lower the chance you'll find this buyer.

For more information about these issues or help moving your house, contact a real estate agent.