AIBU to consider buying a house from smokers?

[vivaladivagigi]

Posting in here for traffic as keen to get a range of opinions, and maybe some advice from people who have done it.

I'm considering buying a house from an old couple. The house smells like they've smoked 50 a day in it for decades. I'd be doing work to it anyway, such as new capets, bathrooms etc. but some people have told me this won't be enough as it gets into floor boards and walls.

What do you think, AIBU?

You can buy whatever house you like as long as you can afford it, why would you be unreasonable?

I was going to but ultimately decided I would always smell it even in my head.

"It gets into the floorboards and the walls" - what utter tosh and poppycock! What do you think is going to happen? That aged fag smoke will seep out and get you during the night?

We looked at a similar house... However, by the time we realised that we would need to strip all the wall paper, the plaster etc, it was simply not financially viable. Do not kid yourself - if you are a non-smoker, and the house had has THAT much smoke in it, you will need to do that level of work. It is a renovation project in its own right...

Good luck though - if you know what you are getting into, it could be worthwhile.

Maybe I'm saying it the wrong way around... AIBU to be put off a property that is otherwise perfect for us?

I would say don't unless you can replace everything. Our house didn't stop having a faint smoke smell until we extended and changed the radiators.

Also think about internal cupboards etc, under the stairs.

It does seem stupid to refuse a house based on it being owned by smokers. You're redecorating anyway, the smell will go away. Once it's yours, just open all of the windows to air it out.

A friend bought a house from an old lady that smoked a lot. He lobbed all the carpets and curtains. But everytime he tried to repaint the nicotine would come through, no matter how much scrubbing or cleaning he did. You could see the white paint turning yellow. In the end he had every wall and ceiling in the place Re-plastered and that got rid of it. Was about £500 per room, so maybe factor that in as a cost in case you need to get it done?

You would have to have the whole place replastered including the ceilings. Is it cheap enough to consider this still good value? Old cigarette smoke stinks and is VERY hard to get rid of.

@Yarboosucks

"It gets into the floorboards and the walls" - what utter tosh and poppycock! What do you think is going to happen? That aged fag smoke will seep out and get you during the night?

It's true, aparently. Google property and third hand smoke. The tar actually sticks to plasterboard and wood.

I suspect that the walls and ceilings will have a layer of 'tar' (like pubs used to have) and you would have to clean that off, perhaps with sugar soap, before you redecorated and of course discard all soft furnishings, carpets, curtains, blinds etc.
So more work but it wouldn't put me off.

Coughsyrupsucks cross posts!

My grandparents did this. The ceilings were yellow and needed many coats of paint because more yellow kept seeping through.

@Coughsyrupsucks

A friend bought a house from an old lady that smoked a lot. He lobbed all the carpets and curtains. But everytime he tried to repaint the nicotine would come through, no matter how much scrubbing or cleaning he did. You could see the white paint turning yellow. In the end he had every wall and ceiling in the place Re-plastered and that got rid of it. Was about £500 per room, so maybe factor that in as a cost in case you need to get it done?

This is very helpful, thank you.

I wonder if anyone has an idea of cost on getting people in to sugar soap the place?

@Yarboosucks

"It gets into the floorboards and the walls" - what utter tosh and poppycock! What do you think is going to happen? That aged fag smoke will seep out and get you during the night?

No but the aged smoke will continue to stink. We looked at a prospective BTL like this, and the agent told us it was almost impossible to sell because there was no easy way of getting rid of the smell.

Sugar soap is your friend. It is a lot of work but very satisfying to strip off the layer left by heavy smokers.
Once all carpets and soft furnishings and curtains are out, you sugar soap ceilings and walls/floors/windows. It cuts through the layers of tar etc.

And im sure there's paint for painting over walls like this. My parents smoked like this and I would decorate for them. Even normal emulsion was fine once you'd cleaned the walls first.

We had a family member who smoked a lot - after she died, different family (non-smokers) moved in and totally redecorates, new carpets, curtains etc.. Even 5 years later we could smell the smoke strongly When we went round. I once spent a night there and the next day my boss asked if I’d been out at the pub the night before because I smelled of smoke.

Honestly i wouldn’t buy a house if I could smell any smoke at all when i viewed it.

We rent a house which was lived in by smokers previously. I don't think they smoked indoors much and there's no yellowing of the paintwork (house wasn't repainted between them and us). We can still smell smoke sometimes though, years later. I would be careful buying from heavy smokers but if you are willing to do a lot of work it will probably be ok.

There are companies who will treat the whole house to get rid of the smell. I'd imagine that it's expensive but it might be worth it if you really love the house. If you can't allow for that or getting the walls replastered I wouldn't do it. Paint and opening the windows won't begin to touch the smell or the damage.

Of course a bit of bleach before you paint and nobody would know.
I remember moving into a house when we were younger and it was brown throughout.
Mum and dad set to and the smell was gone within the weekend. Endless buckets of tar though, yuck.

People move into or back into houses after an actual fire so I guess that smell doesn’t last for ever?
Lots of tips online about removing cigarette smell or smoke smell for houses, why not have a look and see what you would have to do to get the house fresh before you make a final decision? Judging by helping an elderly relative decorate their home ( heavy smoker for many years) as a non smoker myself I could only bear a certain amount of time in the house at one go and had to wear a mask. All surfaces, walls, floors etc had to be cleaned thoroughly. Wallpaper had to be stripped off, paint could be painted over with a barrier paint then normal paint on top.
Or maybe make life easier and book a professional clean, maybe with a company that offers specialist deep cleans for after a fire, death in a house or similar.

I wouldn’t do it

I wouldn't. Friends of mine did this and six years on it still smells when it rains for some reason

You can try Zinsser paint to try seal the walls,ceilings and woodwork, but there's still the floors and just the cracks that can't be sealed. Old nicotine is really sticky and almost impossible to clean off.

Personally, I wouldn't buy a such a house. Smokers just dont realise how it stinks.