Put off buying house that smells like a zoo...

[heylottie]

We have been to view a property a couple of times now which ticks pretty much every box. It's not my ideal ideal house but on paper it is what we need and what we can afford. I totally see that it has great potential...
We first viewed it when it had tenants in it. Mum, dad, five teenagers... 8 DOGS. Smelt a bit stuffy but ok

Now the tenants have been gone a few weeks and we have been back for another viewing.

Oh my god the fucking smell. It is horrendous. And it goes throughout the house. Our builder friend who came with to quote on works almost gagged.

Will this smell come out, ever? If we move in will all our stuff stink of dog through osmosis? Will out cat leave home? Would we have to rent somewhere whilst we fumigated (oh god hope not)?

Worse, I think, is that the place isnt carpeted, so I can't even chuck them out. Wooden floors, some laminate.

I dont want to be The Woman Who Smells Like 8 Dogs.

We bought a house that was similar, but smelt of cat instead. It was obviously notorious as one of the children living down the street found out where we lived and said "but that's the smelly house!" before her mother gagged her.

Redecorating helped enormously, and lots of fresh air etc. But the worst room was quarry tiled, and the smell was in the grout and in every crevice, and even 2 years later if we moved anything we could still smell cat.

I think if we had the chance again, we'd still buy it, but would get it professionally cleaned and reckon on maybe getting the flooring resurfaced or replaced.

Is the garden not full of dog shit too?

Its odd the smell has got worse after they've gone. Which suggests its more to do with the fact its been shut up maybe? So once you're there then maybe having the windows open (and lots of reed diffusers) might help.

I once didn't buy a house because it smelt odd, like funny drains. Though dh reckoned it was whatever was cooking in the oven. But the whole house stank.

I guess the smell has got worse because of lack of open windows - or that it is its 'real' smell, IYSWIM. The garden isnt full of shit and the tenants seemed prefectly nice just ardent animal lovers...
I think one of the problems is that once we move in how would we give it that professional deep clean? How do we reseal the floors if that is what it takes?
Do you think I could make the eradication of the smell part of the conditions of buying it? Is that cheeky?

I wouldn't bother making eradication of the smells part of the conditions as it's quite subjective really isn't? They could say it doesn't smell, you could say it does, and then where do you go from there?

I think people won't be falling over themselves to buy this house! Just really allow for professional cleaning and maybe floor replacing in your offer price. I would expect a house like this to be seriously cheap compared to other similar houses.

Oh I posted about this only a coupel of weeks ago and got some very useful advice.
Can't do links but was called something like 'how to de-smell new house'. We bought ours from people who had been running a shelter for mostly old dogs. It properly stank.
The update is that we moved in, ripped out all carpets except stairs, had place cleaned, put stuff down all plugs and drains, wiped walls with Zoflora, sprayed pet odour neutraliser everywhere (get it from pets at Home etc) and...

It's absolutely fine now & I think we got a real bargain because the smell was putting everyone else off. Cost 170 for skip and 1800 for flooring + cleaning materials (and a bit more for lots of expensive smelly candles!).

The weird thing is that any residual smell seems to be in the wood of the doors and the mortar in the tiled kitchen floor but I keep attacking with zoflora and lavender polish and it evn smells a little bit nice now .

It does help that we've bought in loads of Ikea flatpack stuff for the bedrooms so there's that strong fresh woody, piney smell which is overtaking it.

Buy it, spray everything and stay out of it for a couple of days. We were also going from rented so had the advantage of an overlap so didn't have to live in it staright away.

Good luck!

We bought a house that stank. We threw the carpets out, and then slopped an enzymatic odour neutraliser liberally round the house. It's now fine.

Would recommend having at least a week with you not living in it if you can, though, so you can slop stuff around.

God how big is the house if 7 people and loads of dogs fitted in it?

It takes a bit of effort but there are specialist cleaners you can use plus open windows and decorate. Could you do any of the work before moving in? We didn't and it stank! I am sure ds went to school smelling of cat wee a few times but hasn't done him any harm he still has mates and he is 17 now!

i don't think i would risk it. what if you couldn't get rid of the smell?

i would definitely say that if they clean it and get rid of the smell you would make an offer?

I rented a flat a few years ago and the lady below us rescued animals and I went in there and it really stank but her dad owned the flat and he decided to sell it so she moved out. He opened all the windows and cleaned it and when I went in after wards to give her my phone no to keep in touch the smell had gone It will be fine

we have done this and once you paint, recarpet and bleach all hard surfaces it is fine - ime the dog stink is in the carpet - luckily only our stairs were carpeted - so factor in a complete change of carpet (and underlay) and repainting everywhere into your calculations.

we had similar issue when we bought our house. the dog had basically used one of the bedrooms as a toilet.

The stench was so foul throughout the house that when we booked some one to come and rip out all the carpets, they refused the job, the second lot, did do the job, after they came back in hazmat suits !

we replaced the floorboards that had taken the brunt of the wee and replaced all carpets and soft furnishings.

the smell was fine after that. we didn't live there though for 4 months as the rest of the house was not liveable in either.

but that was the reason it was the price it was.

so go for it...replace as much of the flooring as you can, and use as much odour eating stuff as possible when you clean. the smell will be in the curtains and other stuff if they have it.. have as much cleaned or replaced as possible, and air the house constantly

This has been on the tip of my tongue ever since I posted yesterday:

Byofresh is the product we used (very successfully).

Thanks for everyones thoughts - and the recommendations of the Byofresh! I think we will make an offer subject to the vendor making a really good fist of cleaning it up. Estate agent (perhaps foolishly) said that they had had no offers and few viewings. We want to pay 15% under asking price, vendor wants 8% under. It's a big house (5 beds) but in my mind I'm thinking - more stinky rooms to clean.
I wonder what the smell to offer percentage ettiquette is?!?!!