Buying A Home
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Would you buy a house from a smoker?
DH and I found our "dream" house - but it's owned by a smoker. It smells so bad - I wouldn't be able to sleep in it until we got rid of the smell (they also own 3 dogs and several cats - even the fridge and pantry smelled of grossness).
We'd rip out some of the carpets and curtains and get the rest of the carpets cleaned, clean the air ducts - scrub, bleach, get it professionally cleaned. Prime, paint, replace all lights and fans. Would this be enough? I have 3 kids - I obviously don't want them breathing in smoke.
I live in a 60 year old house now - the previous owners didn't smoke -but I suppose maybe other people that have owned this house did and I'd never know.
Re: Would you buy a house from a smoker?
You may want to research a new topic called "Third Hand Smoke."
I wouldn't be opposed to buying this home if it were perfect in every other way. However, I would heavily research what I'd need to do to make it safe and healthy for my family. Also, I would ask in a reduction in price due to the work that needs to be done to clean it up (paint, carpet, filters, cleaning, new window treatments, etc.). And I would go to the nth degree to spend money to get it clean. This is a health issue, so I would be pretty firm on my request.
Most buyers will not want this house, if I had to guess, so you may have some bargaining power there.
Personally, I would move on to another house. We bought a house where we were told the people didn't smoke, but that the mother of one of the owners came over to help them pack and she smoked, but smokes outside. Boy were we stupid. The bathroom wallpaper you can tell is stained with it. We washed down the walls before painting and the water kept turning black. The glass panes on the dining room light were green from the smoke/tar.
Can you clean it up? Probably, but you'll be spending time/money to do it.
I agree
i think the only way to get rid of the smell is to rip the drywall out and redo the walls. It is not worth the effort. Move on, unless you are willing to put all that work into it.
how much would a mild smoke smell bother you? for me, i'm REALLY sensitive to smoke smell (i get instant headaches), and therefore i'd immediately pass on the house.
your plan is good -- definitely get rid of ALL the carpets (even cleaned, they still smell), get everything you can professionally cleaned. replace and clean everything you can -- maybe even things like baseboards and door trim, kitchen cabinets, etc.
i would certainly haggle on the price if you can. it IS a health risk and if these people are any kind of decent they'd at least give you some money to get carpets and air ducts cleaned.
other than that ---- i'd recommend passing on the house. my cousin rented an apartment that smokers had been in -- even after washing and cleaning everything - her clothes would still smell.
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When we were looking, if we smelled anything remotely like smoke, we walked out. But to each their own. It's ultimately your decision.
I disagree that it won't come out. My family has numerous properties bought at auction. Because you couldn't get into the homes before auction (except looking in windows) there are a number that were disastrous inside - heavy smoke, drugs, trash everywhere - and you would never know once they were cleaned out and fixed up. Some carpets were replaced if too badly stained, other were cleaned. The areas of real concern as far as smell are the soft surfaces - carpets, drapery, etc. Hard surfaces may discolor, but that's a different fix. Duct work can collect ashes and particles that continue to smell if not cleaned out.
I recommend - ditch any curtains that came with the house, let the home air out as much as possible initially, wash down the walls then repaint all, have duct work cleaned and replace air filters, clean carpets. I bet you'll be surprised what a difference a thorough cleaning can make.
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Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over!
The house next to the one I grew up in was owned by an elderly chain smoking couple. For years all they did was smoke in this house. It was really gross. Recently a young family moved in. They did everything you mentioned. I was in there not that long and you can't tell someone ever smoked in the house.