how much does smoking in a house impact its value? (disclosure, rent)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
If I walked into the house and smelled even the faintest whiff of smoke I would be right back in the car. If I made an offer, it would be intended for the lot and I would rip the house down.
I'm allergic to smoke, so I wouldn't want to get hives.
In short: I would not pay money for a house that had ever been smoked in.
I live in a neighborhood where just about all the houses were built between 1890-1930. As you can infer, most of the houses must have had smokers at some point. I'm sure mine did. None of the houses that I've been in smell of smoke, so the passage of time will eventually take care of the smell. Then again it may come down to the construction quality of the house. I wonder if there's something about houses built in the last few decades that makes the structure much more permeable to the smell of cigarettes?
Depends on the house. If it already needs a studs down remodel, smoke smell would be irrelevant. On a house that was otherwise in move in ready condition except for a pervasive odor, that would drop the price near the level of a studs down remodel.
This. I had a tenant who smoked in the house for 5yrs. The house was repainted and cleaned(it needed it anyway) and I paid someone $250 to use the ozone machine. Problem solved.
Some of the responses on this thread are just laughable. Getting physically sick from smelling a person who smokes? GMAFB! I'm sure you're a real joy to be around. I'm a former smoker and still have one every now and then when I'm drinking, but I have to say people are getting so soft these days I don't know how they get out of the bed in the morning.
They don't smoke. I find it funny when people can't take a little bit of poop on their desk. They get so soft. Sometimes when they leave the office you just have leave a little one in the drawers, am I right?
Seriously, some people have more of a reaction to smoke than others. I asked if a home has been smoked in. If I was lied to, I'd sue. I don't trust the remedies to last for the next 30 years, and I won't be sold something where the damage was simply covered up.
This. I had a tenant who smoked in the house for 5yrs. The house was repainted and cleaned(it needed it anyway) and I paid someone $250 to use the ozone machine. Problem solved.
Some of the responses on this thread are just laughable. Getting physically sick from smelling a person who smokes? GMAFB! I'm sure you're a real joy to be around. I'm a former smoker and still have one every now and then when I'm drinking, but I have to say people are getting so soft these days I don't know how they get out of the bed in the morning.
You aren't a former smoker, you still smoke, albeit infrequently. I'd bet you aren't as smoke-sensitive as non-smokers. Non-smokers can pick up on that vile scent very easily.
Also, I have asthma and I do get sick from cigarette smoke. It's not being "soft". Try quitting the habit before you criticize others.
I bought a house from smokers. All that was required to get the smell out was steam cleaning the carpets, dry cleaning the draperies, and painting. And of course, cleaning. I washed everything that wasn't to be painted with a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water. It was no big deal.
But then again, people are fussier and wimpier than they used to be.
That's certainly unnecessary, and bordering on the ridiculous. Carpet maybe; wallpaper absolutely; cabinets definitely not.
They don't smoke. I find it funny when people can't take a little bit of poop on their desk. They get so soft. Sometimes when they leave the office you just have leave a little one in the drawers, am I right?
Seriously, some people have more of a reaction to smoke than others. I asked if a home has been smoked in. If I was lied to, I'd sue. I don't trust the remedies to last for the next 30 years, and I won't be sold something where the damage was simply covered up.
What?
I realize some people have a stronger reaction to smoke. That's a little different than having a psychosomatic reaction to someone with a residual odor on their clothes. Would you suggest that the house be torn down because it was smoked in at one point? Cleaning, painting and ozone treatment is not really a cover up.
This. I had a tenant who smoked in the house for 5yrs. The house was repainted and cleaned(it needed it anyway) and I paid someone $250 to use the ozone machine. Problem solved.
Some of the responses on this thread are just laughable. Getting physically sick from smelling a person who smokes? GMAFB! I'm sure you're a real joy to be around. I'm a former smoker and still have one every now and then when I'm drinking, but I have to say people are getting so soft these days I don't know how they get out of the bed in the morning.
Another voice of reason It's cigarette smoke not a former meth lab...talk about remediation $$$$$$
This. I had a tenant who smoked in the house for 5yrs. The house was repainted and cleaned(it needed it anyway) and I paid someone $250 to use the ozone machine. Problem solved.
Some of the responses on this thread are just laughable. Getting physically sick from smelling a person who smokes? GMAFB! I'm sure you're a real joy to be around. I'm a former smoker and still have one every now and then when I'm drinking, but I have to say people are getting so soft these days I don't know how they get out of the bed in the morning.
I'm not soft. I manage 160 rental units. I've seen EVERYTHING. I've had houses where the cats sprayed everything below 3 feet. I've had houses with human feces smeared all over the walls. I've had houses where cheese was stuffed down the vents with the heat on. I've had dead rotting animals in crawl spaces. None of those bother me as much as the smell of smoke.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.