The One Thing You Should Always Have In Your Bathroom, According to a Very Wise Real Estate Agent

If I conducted a study of the greatest anxiety guests face when visiting others’ homes, they’d rattle off some simple and sensible responses: fear of burdening the host or being boring, social anxiety around new people, concerns about being awkward or having nothing to contribute to the conversation. All good responses, but all wrong.

Few of us are willing to admit that our own basic human functions are at the core of our unease. It’s as if humanity collectively survived the bathroom scene from “Dumb and Dumber” but none of us quite healed. Simply put: pooping. Everybody does it, no one talks about it… until now, friends!

Whether you’re hosting guests in your home or trying to sell your house, easing this deeply universal fear won’t just relieve your guest of their troubles, it also creates a safe, private, comforting environment.

Nashville-based real estate agent Zach Opheim is one of many experts who understands just how important comfort and privacy are for guests. Before a showing, he ensures all his toilets are in tip top shape: “I typically tell clients [not to] run the bathroom fan all day, because it can make it seem a little odd if you were a buyer walking into a bathroom and [noticing] the fan already running. It almost makes people expect there to be a smell because you have the fan on!”

Because Zach is a genius, he takes it a step further if the opportunity presents itself. “Poo-Pourri is also a really great product when it comes to a home’s bathroom. If my clients have it handy, I will spray it as I walk the home in preparation for the showing, open house, etc.”

This courtesy extends outside the washroom as well. Per Zach, “Any little thing you can do to make the home feel fresh, clean, and welcoming is always a great idea.”

As opposed to the typical air freshener, he has another favorite: “I’m a huge advocate of oil diffusers. For starters, they clean the air and help the entire home smell and feel cleaner and fresh. I will typically instruct a client to have these running starting the morning of any showings, open house, etc., and let the diffuser run all day, so by the time potential buyers arrive, the home has a refreshing aroma throughout.”

In addition to running a diffuser and keeping products like Poo-Pourri in a visible place—to signify to your guests that they are here to be used—scented candles with decorative matchboxes nearby are not only functional, but also aesthetically pleasing.

Whether showcasing your home at gatherings or open houses, you’ll play the host role perfectly and potentially save your guests some understandable (yet unnecessary!) apprehension and embarrassment.