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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To buy a house owned by smokers

67 replies

NoChella · 30/06/2017 08:04

After some advice please - viewed a house yesterday that is otherwise perfect but in through the front door and the smell of smoke was like a wall.
DP and I both non-smokers so probably more sensitive to it anyway. Smell wasn't too strong at all upstairs so think they probably just smoke in kitchen / living room. Kitchen is laminate floor, lounge/diner is carpet. Think they've been there around 18 months so not too "set in" if that makes sense...

Has anyone who's a non-smoker bought a house from a smoker before? How long did it take to get the smell out or does it stay forever? Any advice on what to do in addition to pulling up carpets would be great please!

OP posts:

Socksey · 30/06/2017 08:07

Bought one that stank of smoke and urine.... got it at an even better price as no-one wanted to deal with it.... if laminated scrub a few times with strong cleaner.... you may need to repaint.... carpets may just need replaced as no amount of clean g will touch more than a light smell...
Didn't regret it at all.... loved my house

Moanyoldcow · 30/06/2017 08:09

We did - the house was utterly vile and the previous owners had been there 17 years.

Airing. Neutradol on carpets, washing of walks and curtains sorted it out in about 2 weeks.

We got our house about £20k less than it should've been because of the state of it.

kittybiscuits · 30/06/2017 08:11

My friend bought a flat owned by a lifetime smoker and it had to be stripped back to brick. I would think a short-term smoking situation would be much less work. Carpet and any other soft furnishings would need to go. Your offer would obviously reflect the work/cost/inconvenience.

Mahlemaison · 30/06/2017 08:11

You'll have the die-hard smokers on in a minute saying you're being over sensitive and that they/their homes don't actually smell

helenfagain · 30/06/2017 08:16

I bought a house that had been owned by heavy smokers since it was built in 1955. The nicotine stains and smells were terrible but we completely stripped the house back (carpets all needed replacement anyway) and the smell did eventually go. It was worth it as I loved the house.

helenfagain · 30/06/2017 08:16

Just to add I was an ex smoker at the time so even more sensitive to the smell than most!

Ifitquackslikeaduck · 30/06/2017 08:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MacarenaFerreiro · 30/06/2017 08:17

As others have said you would have to completely redecorate and replace all carpets. If the house needs that doing anyway you might consider it, but you'd have to put up with the stench in the meantime.

It's a very noticeable smell if you're not a smoker. I volunteer in a charity shop and when we get a bag of donations you can instantly tell if it's from a smoker's home as the smell is so strong. Febreze helps but still, yuk.

Ifitquackslikeaduck · 30/06/2017 08:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MollyHuaCha · 30/06/2017 08:19

When house hunting I'm afraid I had to reject anything that smelled of smoke. It just put me right off. If you are happy to change all carpets and wallpaper, repaint and thoroughly clean, then go for it!

emmyrose2000 · 30/06/2017 08:22

Not in a million years. Yuck.

Sushi123 · 30/06/2017 08:27

The smell will leave for sure

Queenofthestress · 30/06/2017 08:29

I'm a smoker (outside only) and not even I would by a house that stunk of it

Fairylea · 30/06/2017 08:29

You'll need to replace carpets and repaint everywhere. But it does come out eventually. We moved into my mums old house (she was a smoker) and the worst thing we found was the kitchen cabinets stank if you put your head close to them so they all needed a sugar soap wash and plenty of dettol and all the ceilings were yellow! Once you've sorted it out it will be fine. We are non smokers and it's fine now.

SlipperyLizard · 30/06/2017 08:31

We did, and got it at a good price as others clearly couldn't see past the smell (smoke and dogs!).

Cleaning it was disgusting, all the white window frames were yellow. We used sugar soap everywhere, got new carpets and removed the awful brick cladding around the fire that just seemed to be releasing the smoke smell back out!

Original poster

NoChella · 30/06/2017 08:32

I am bracing myself for the wrath of the smokers!!

My parents bought a house decades ago with severe nicotine damage and I remember the staining in the bathroom!! Luckily this house is less than 2 years old anyway so everything is relatively brand new. Hearing some of your accounts I think we're lucky that on the spectrum of how bad this could be, it's pretty alright. There's no obvious "damage" as such, just the smell.

Carpets would only be 2-5k (at the very most, in the unlikely event of having to do upstairs) so we're now debating whether it's worth risking a lower offer and potentially losing the house, or whether we just suck it up and offer the asking price

OP posts:

Original poster

NoChella · 30/06/2017 08:32

Thank you so much for all your replies too!!

OP posts:

Badweekjustgotworse · 30/06/2017 08:34

Do you have young children? There's no way I'd let them in till the carpets had been lifted and walls washed down / wall paper stripped etc. The smell is toxic because it is actually toxic and harmful...
Wouldn't put me off though if the house was right, put in a cheeky offer and be prepared to spend some serious cash and elbow grease to get it freshened up

IWantABlueBanana · 30/06/2017 08:39

Buy bin zinsser paint!!

TheLegendOfBeans · 30/06/2017 08:39

Considering smoking is so taboo nowadays could you use this to your advantage and try to knock the price down a bit?

A deep clean (not a redecoration) of a three bed house cones in at about £350 in London. Add in costs of a general repaint and redecoration (especially if you get someone else in to do it), plus replacing parts such as light switches and lightbulb points which will likely be manky you could easily spend 10k.

It could be to your advantage (but ffs do the redecoration, cleaning and airing before you move in, trust me) x

aftersomeadvice1 · 30/06/2017 08:39

We did! The house was disgusting when we moved it - we had to live with parents until it had been done up!
We ripped up carpets, decorated, bleached everywhere, new doors, skirting boards. Honestly it was worth it and it didn't take long to get rid of the smell/dirt. Also, there was no way we would have got a 3 bed house for the price we got this

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 30/06/2017 08:40

I bought a house that not only stank of smoke, it was nicotine stained throughout on the walls.

Changing the carpets and the wallpaper/paint, and new curtains too (she left some) dealt with it.

If you can afford to redecorate throughout once you move in, then I'd say do it - if you can't, then maybe think twice (unless the house is a super bargain and you're completely in love with it)

TheLegendOfBeans · 30/06/2017 08:41

(X post oops)

Re a lower offer; the general trend appears to be (in the SE anyway) that the glory days are gone and that "cheeky" offers are actually not so cheeky anymore.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 30/06/2017 08:41

Be prepared to have to re plaster, decorating might not cut it. It permeates EVERYTHING.

lizzyj4 · 30/06/2017 08:43

I did, many years ago. The nicotine stains on the walls and ceilings were a nightmare to get rid of and if you don't remove them properly the stuff just soaks through new paint. I also replace carpeting and curtains.

But as you say, if they haven't been in the house that long, it may not be so bad.

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