Removing smoke from entire house-to-be?!

[SunCream32]

Hello, we are currently viewing properties with the hope of buying one soon. Have seen one such place and the whole house smells of smoke. I know the vendors' have lived there for many years and with 2 little ones I wondered how hard it would be to completely eliminate the smell. We plan to decorate most rooms in the future if we did decide to go for this one, but that would take time so would need more immediate solutions in the meantime! Any suggestions pls?

Apparently a bowl of vinegar left in a room removes the mell of smoke.I've never tried it though,and you would then have the smell of vinegar to contend with....

Open the windows!
But most of all change/clean ALL the soft furnishings. So any curtains left get to the cleaners. All carpets either clean or replace.

Thanks, so not such a potential problem after all!! That's one worry allayed then, ta ladies

Thoroughly wipe with lemon juice and water then Febreeze any fitted wardrobes. Their smokey clothes will have transferred the smell and you don't want yours to pick it up.

When we bought our current house the whole place stank of smoke. We got rid of all the carpets, curtains etc, and redecorated every room (this all needed doing anyway, not just to get rid of the smoke smell). It pretty much solved the problem, though occasionally, when I come into the house after it's been shut up for a while, there is just a hint of the smell. I wonder if this is the floorboards, though they are all covered.
Discouragingly, we've lived here eight years...

Oh no, ww! 8 years and still a hint of it?? Not good news!! Having 2nd viewing soon so will see how we feel after that...thanks again!

I'm afraid I just wouldn't buy it, the whole house will be impregnated with smoke, and it's not just the smell it's the sticky residue and the yellowing effect on everything too. You'd have to replace all soft furnishings (carpets, curtains) and paint everything, plus deep clean all the surfaces/cupboards. But I really really really hate the smell of smoke!

You can also get nicotine cover paint, in case everything is so yellow it seeps through...worth getting some of that. Especially for ceilings.

I would think at length about buying the house as well. As others have mentioned, the smoke gets onto everything so even if you clean every carpet, blind etc is is still embedded in every shelf, lightfitting, wardrobe etc

Sugar soap is what you need for removing old nicotine. I'm in the process of doing a house like this now. You have to wash down all the surfaces with the solution though (and rinse), walls, ceilings, paint work, kitchen cabinets and so on. Then have carpets cleaned.

Quite a big job but I wouldn't let it put you off buying the property if you feel it is "the one". Sugar soap is dirt cheap and if you had a team of helpers you should be able to get it done over a weekend.

Best of luck

Well, had second viewing today and still liked the house despite the smell! However, in the last couple of days another house we had had our eye on a few weeks ago which went under offer before we could act upon it has literally just come back on the market so we've made an offer on that one instead!! Thank you so much for your thoughts and suggestions, it's been v helpful

I have ciffed the living daylights out of the TV my chain smoking neighbours have given to my dd. It still stinks.

I managed to remove cat smell in my house after it seemed it will never go away (took 6 layers of wooden floor varnishing, too), but it is gone! it is gone!