Would you buy a smelly house?

[silkcut100]

One that smelt of cigarette smoke?

Cigarettes: not unless I could be arsed to gut the place - carpets, wallpaper etc. The smell lingers horribly.

Dogs: you can just get rid of the carpets/soft furnishings and strip back any flooring/paper that's really old.

We both smoked years ago, and it took three months after we stopped before you could no longer smell it in the flat.

Yes! But only for a substantial discount.
You have to be prepared to remove every bit of fabric, strip all wall paper, remove carpets and underlay and scrub surfaces (I bleached) before completely repainting every single surface.

We did this with our second house in the early 1990's. We negotiated a substantial reduction to reflect the work. But this reduction meant our mortgage offer covered a three bed rather than a small two bed.

It was worth the work.

No, it gets into everything.

Actually I would as an investment property where everything had to be re-done whilst living elsewhere, but otherwise no.

I lived in a rental where the previous tenant smoked. I noticed a smell of smoke at the viewing but never imagined how long it would last. In the end I washed all the walls and ceilings and although it was better, the smell never fully went. You could scratch the wall with a fingernail and come away with a yellow smoke scented grease.

Yes, if it had potential to make good/develop. And if the smell put off other buyers- then surely that is a great opportunity to grab a bargain.
That's what I did with a 'lifestyle' damp issue- and the property has increased in value significantly.

If, however, you're looking for a quick move-in, relax - then maybe not. Cigarette residue stinks.

It would definitely be off putting, but we moved into our council house the woman before us (actually died in the living room, bed bound, very sad) was a smoker. We did have to rip everything out when we moved in and air everything out all day everyday for a week, but it did disappear.

Only if the plan was to completely gut the whole house and start afresh.

The smell gets into everything.

No - and I didn't.
An otherwise lovely house in an idyllic setting came up for sale in my village when I was house-hunting.

We had a wander round the area before our appointment to view, and kept getting wafts of cigarette smoke through the windows as we passed.

Inside, you could barely breathe, the smokey fog was so dense. All the ceilings and paintwork were browny-orange.

As I say, it was a lovely house, so I did seriously consider it, but I did have to strip off, wash my clothes and shower when I got home.

I realised I would have to factor in a complete change of carpets and complete redecoration before moving in. But I was concerned that might not be enough, and that it could be sunk into the plaster and tmbers too.

I have never smoked and have always detested the smell of smoke. I just couldn't risk it.

I bought a second hand couch (still really expensive) and ended up giving it away after 8 months because I couldn’t get the smell out. It stank my whole house out. It was leather as well, didn’t think it would hold the smell for that long after repeated cleanings. I wouldn’t buy a smoky house

@Babadook76

I bought a second hand couch (still really expensive) and ended up giving it away after 8 months because I couldn’t get the smell out. It stank my whole house out. It was leather as well, didn’t think it would hold the smell for that long after repeated cleanings. I wouldn’t buy a smoky house

We got a wooden table! It took months and months and months of keeping it in the garage and soaked with zorflora before you stopped the smell (it was a really nice, hand painted table)

We did, it was a nightmare to get rid of. We had to wash everything, repaint and change carpets to get rid of smell.

Nope

We did. After a deep clean the smell went, it was the perfect house for our needs, and we made a killing when we sold it.

TBH I can cope with cigarette smoke better than the smell of those plug-in air fresheners.

Sure if I was gutting it.

My parents' first house had 22 poodles' shit impacted on the floors. They had to get enivornmental health to help them chisel it off.

We bought one that smelled of smoke, deep fat frying and old man piss, but it was a great house and 25 years later it smells clean and lovely. Life isn't Instagram.

We did, and weed

We were planning on ripping all the carpets up etc anyway as the house was completely vile

@BlueTuesday20

Bear in mind that the smell of smoke may be masking other smells. For example, when the indoor smoking ban came in many clubs/pubs had to close foe a deep clean/aircon refit or whatever, because, as the smell of fags cleared, the stench from the bogs became apparent....

And the farts. Men and larger = farts. It’s the first thing I noticed after the smoking ban. (Was a bit of a ropey pub though)

Not unless I had no other choice. Bad smells permeate everything and it's almost impossible to get rid of it.

I would if it was cheap enough.

When I was a kid most houses smelt of smoke. I wonder if the smell eventually just disappeared with time.

I am very old...

I genuinely knew someone who had to take theirs back to bare brick due to cigarette smoke

My parents house stank of dog piss when they bought it and they had to get rid of all the carpets and some floorboards to get rid of that. Took about 6 months. So it's not something I'd take lightly.

I would, but only if I was going to fully renovate it.

I hate that stink but it wouldn't put me off buying a property. I'd be washing and repainting everything anyway, then no more stink.