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Old 11-04-2014, 09:22 PM
 
5,048 posts, read 9,557,036 times
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A friend had a great property listed. Wonderful historic home. A few acres. Right near the city. Pool, poolhouse, several car garage. Wide impressive driveway. The husband was on oxygen and anxious to sell the house. The house did not sell. The wife....husband's condition and oxygen used in the house and all could not stop smoking. A lot. She was that addicted. And furious when it was brought up. It was brought up a lot because she called asking why the house hadn't sold a lot. And, guess what, that is what every buyer who looked at it said. Several wouldn't go in the front door when they smelled the smoke rushing out.

But, who knows. At the right price someone may buy thinking new carpet, new window treatments, some scrubbing, Kilz and fresh paint will do the trick.
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Old 11-04-2014, 09:26 PM
 
Location: under the beautiful Carolina blue
22,618 posts, read 36,550,699 times
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I think the cleanup is overblown. My parents were heavy smokers for 30 of the 40 years they owned the house. Several siblings and in-laws were heavy smokers. House looked like a dive bar on holidays with the haze. When my parents quit, they did not allow smoking in the house. It really did not take long at all for the smoke smell to go away. I will say that my mom was a constant cleaner, but even she used to admit that nicotine stained everything - but they kept all the carpeting, most of the furniture and window treatments from their smoking days and you wouldn't know the house had been smoked in.
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Old 11-05-2014, 10:18 AM
 
Location: Boise, ID
8,046 posts, read 28,371,687 times
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The only way I would consider buying the house you described is if it was priced at lot value minus tear down cost. In other words, I would buy it if I could get it to a bare lot at bare lot net price.

Smoke smell is that big of a deal to me. If I walked in the house and smelled smoke, I would turn around and leave, even if I had fallen in love with pictures online. Even being around a smoker who is not smoking is enough to make me cough. I could never live in that house, no matter how much you aired it out, repainted, recarpeted, etc. It would have to be gutted down to the studs and floorboards, and then have those treated with Kilz and then refinished.

I understand that some people think that I'm overreacting and that I am too extreme, but I know my reaction to cigarette smoke.

We have rental properties and in 99% of them, we don't allow smoking. But we have one that is going to be a teardown when we develop the ground it sits on in a few years, so we went ahead and took a smoker as a tenant. I had to sit in a room with them for about 45 minutes to sign the lease. They didn't smoke while they were inside, but they smelled strongly enough that it made me so sick I had to take the rest of the day off, and was still coughing so hard and had such a headache the next day, I had to take that day off too. They smoked so heavily that when they paid rent (cash), I could literally mix all the money together and then pick out which bills came from them by smell.

I understand that my reaction to the smell is unusual and extreme, but I could never live in this house at any price.

Even people with less extreme reactions to the smell are going to have problems with the condition as you have described it. If your in laws would wash walls, Kilz and repaint, replace the carpets and drapes, and declutter the house, getting rid of most of the soft furniture, and then stop smoking in the house, they would have a larger potential group to choose from. As it is, they will have trouble selling at any price.
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Old 11-05-2014, 10:22 AM
 
389 posts, read 424,556 times
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If I loved the house, I wouldn't let it stop me. However, with that being said, I am a smoker. I don't smoke in my home though.
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Old 11-05-2014, 10:26 AM
 
7,672 posts, read 12,733,236 times
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I don't think your reaction is extreme. I have a sensitive nose. Many a times I'll smell something and be the only one. Later when the scent gets stronger, the others are like oh now I smell it! Different strokes for different people.

If it's works with some kilz and cleaning, excellent! You got yourself a deal. For others like me, we had to eliminate things step by step. We tried cleaning and kilz, didn't work. Shellac did. Somewhat. We had carpet professionally cleaned, didn't work. A week later with cement floors, still could smell it. Treated the cement... and on and on.

Believe me, it would have been so much cheaper if it was a simple fix for us. We sure as heck didn't want to spend as much money as we did.
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Old 11-05-2014, 12:18 PM
 
Location: Barrington
63,919 posts, read 46,474,580 times
Reputation: 20674
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrRational View Post
As is? Considerably.
After some thoroughly done basic housekeeping work? Not as much as you might think.

There ya go.

Hot Water, Mild Detergent and Bleach will solve 90% of the surface evidence problems.
A paint job (and KILZ) will take care of the rest.
The house probably needs paint anyway.

The carpets and drapes will probably need replacing.
Hopefully they're worn out so not a total loss.
I agree.

Not that big of a big deal if the house is vacant.

Clothing,mattresses, upolstered furniture, carpeting and fabric window coverings need to come out.

KILZ works wonders.

A duct cleaning also can't hurt.
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Old 11-05-2014, 12:22 PM
 
Location: Barrington
63,919 posts, read 46,474,580 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thinkalot View Post
I have smoked in all of my homes and was able to sell everyone of them. At no discount. The same prices as the non smokers got. It just takes a little longer until one of the 20% that smokes comes and doesn't care.

You could advertise that it isn't a smoke free home so you don't waste time showing it to people that would never buy it.
When was the last time you sold?
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Old 11-05-2014, 01:20 PM
 
Location: North Idaho
32,503 posts, read 47,500,455 times
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I've done both. I've turned around at the doorway and left from a stinky house.

I've also bought a couple, with a huge price reduction ($50,000 off on one and $80,000 off on the other), plus the location was premium. The clean-up is a real pain and quite expensive. It involves a complete remodel, plus hours of scrubbing, duct cleaning and painting the insides of cabinets. In one house, the kitchen exhaust fan and its ductwork had to be replaced before the stink was finally gone.

I really don't want to clean up another one. The price reduction would have to be enormous to tempt me to do it again.
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Old 11-05-2014, 02:16 PM
 
Location: Florida -
10,213 posts, read 14,751,832 times
Reputation: 21845
Back in the sixties/seventies when 'everyone smoked', smokers hardly noticed the smell. But, today one can readily tell if a smoker (who is not even smoking) has been in the same room/elevator or recently walked down a hallway. Still, many smokers continue to puff-away, oblivious to or unconcerned about their own noxious odor.

IMO one needs to be almost obsessively addicted to continue to smoke today ... in a world where even smoking outdoors is discouraged and cigarettes cost a ridiculous $6 per pack. (Many smokers will not even smoke in their own homes or cars; choosing instead to litter parks and gutters with cigarette butts).

In the situation described by the OP, the FIL/MIL will quickly become quite aware that this is still a 'buyer's market' ... and that probably 40-50-percent (?) of the otherwise qualified house-hunters will not even look at or consider the described house. Those willing to even consider it, will rightly expect a significant discount ($50-$100K minimum) below a highly competitive market price.

Last edited by jghorton; 11-05-2014 at 03:36 PM..
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Old 11-05-2014, 03:14 PM
 
Location: Connecticut is my adopted home.
2,398 posts, read 3,819,431 times
Reputation: 7774
The whole house reeks.

I really don't want to clean up another one. The price reduction would have to be enormous to tempt me to do it again.

There is a big difference between reeking and simply a smoker's home. Closed up, never aired smokers homes are marinated in stink. My first home, because I was not in a position to be picky was a stinky smoker's house. We spent days scrubbing walls, ceilings, floors, windows, sills, woodwork, cabinets (inside and out) doors, appliances, light fixtures. We poured gallons and gallons of gross brown water down the drain. We then primed and painted. The carpeting/pad was pitched out as were blinds.

Like the above poster, I won't ever do that again.

A big luxury property that reeks will likely not appeal to those in that type of market. Given the description of your FIL, the market will likely be a harsh teacher. Unless another heavy smoker (that smokes in the house) rolls in, the property will languish without a significant discount. I'd stay away from this, look on from afar. Let the poor agents and your in-laws fight it out.
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