The sweet smell of fresh air

A damp, airless house is no fun to livein and is hardly likely to attract buyers when it comes time to sell.

Proper ventilation will remove moistureand musty smells, and makes a huge difference to the ambience of a home. Thiscan be achieved as simply as opening windows and doors to air the house andusing traditional or automatic extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms.

This should always be done before consideringbuying a ventilation system, says Christian Hoerning, senior technical adviserbuildings at the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).

If your house is damp, try finding andaddressing the source of the moisture before investing in a ventilation system,says Hoerning.

For example, ifthe ground under your house is wet a ground vapour barrier may be a low-costway of sorting rising damp.

Nonetheless, fancyventilation systems do catch buyers' eyes and are an answer for people whodon't like opening windows.

Ventilationsystems come in two main flavours. There are positive pressure systems andbalanced pressure heat recovery systems.

Positive pressuresystems are the most common in New Zealand and force filtered air throughceiling vents and into the rooms.

Hoerning saysanyone investing in a ventilation system should ensure the air supply is fromoutside, not the roof cavity, which can be contaminated with mould, ratdroppings, or even asbestos.

"Ventilationsystems have filters but keeping these clean is often overlooked," hesays.Homeowners can ask for standard systems supplied by most of these companies totake air from outside. But don't assume it will be done if you don't ask.

Balanced pressuresystems work best in modern, well-sealed homes, in colder parts of the country.

They supply freshoutdoor air into the house through ceiling vents and a second fan extracts airfrom the home and discharges it outside after having recovered any heat. Again,make sure the air is coming from outside, not the roof cavity.

Martin Cooper,managing director of Harcourts Cooper & Co on the North Shore, saysventilation systems are listed in sale adverts because they are a pullingpoint.

"It's alwayshard to sell a musty, mildewy home," he says. "Smells associated withpoor ventilation might even make buyers suspicious that the home is potentiallyleaky.

"Ventilationsystems air the property. We might say to buyers it has beautiful views, thelatest Smeg appliances and a ventilation system. It's a value-add. It's adefinite plus for purchasers."

Smell is one ofthe senses that makes buyers get a good or bad feeling towards a property, andif it's supplied with clean, fresh, dry air it is going to smell better, Coopersays.

"People sayto us they bought a property because it just 'felt right'. It's like popcorn atthe movies. It's part of the experience."