Buying a house from the recently deceased.

bretts

I completed about 2 months ago on probate property, we have still not started living in it so don't really know a lot but getting it made brand new almost. Smell was never sort of an issue there I guess just lack of ventilation but you definitely should get the probate details from the EA or solicitor as if there is any problem on that front it could drag just forever, EA might not give you the correct info though as they work for the seller, best is to ask your solicitor to ask the seller sol for this detail. Also get a full survey done, I did the basic one and sort of paying the cost for it, I knew what all I need to get from beginning but then more things started to emerge that needed to be done. So probate details and what stage is it on and a thorough survey I would suggest are very important.
Good part was it was a blank canvas so we are making it from scratch and giving it our own unique touch.

DaftyDuck

Well, I've bought fairly large houses from elderly people who were downsizing, or that are now probate, and I generally aim for houses that have been in the same hands for ages. This current one was 37 years in the same family, kids were raised, father "moved on" by the Estate Agent in the sky, and elderly lady left rattling around for six or seven years. She moved from room to room, until one became unlivable in (dead electrics, carpet soggy) when she moved on to the next. There were six bedrooms for her to.... sog up, shall we say?

It's the smell I can report... best... on, having just taken down the ceiling below the upstairs bathroom. Even writing about it makes my throat twitch. It's a mixture of sweet urine (I know, horrid concept) and age-old shake n vac and talcum powder and mould. That, embedded into an old lathe and plaster ceiling with all the concomitant dust and crud.

It's fairly common, I'm sorry to report. The small does linger on, unless you take pretty drastic action. I often have to replace floorboards in bathrooms (and main bedrooms) to rid the house of the smell and, as in this case, often the ceiling below has to go too. Carpet and paint covers it up.... until you get a period of really hot weather like we just had.

I've had this property nearly 3 years, so it does... linger...

Have I outstayed my welcome? Shall I leave now? sorreeee

I can report that, as far as I know, it's the last disgusting bit (that I know of).

Edit: I should add, the elderly often have elderly pets... They tend to be less... well-behaved in the litter tray department, and dogs get too elderly and tired to want to go out. Just thought I'd add more to the cheer!

Ivana_Tinkle

Unfortunately, I'm familiar with the smell you mean! In my experience, cleaning (especially carpets and the oven), opening windows, cooking, redecorating and just living in a house massively reduces the smell, but it does take a long time to fade completely. Our house smelled terrible when we moved in, and it probably took six months before I stopped noticing the smell every time I came home. (I hope that's because it faded, rather than because I just got used to it...) In the meantime, bake a lot of bread, burn scented candles or whatever it takes to mask the smell a bit. We found the Neutradol shake-and-vac-type stuff quite effective - it made the room smell "clean" for a few days without being overpowering. Febreeze-type stuff is no good at all - you need something a lot heavier-duty!

moneyistooshorttomention

Surely the smell would only apply if the person hadn't kept themselves and/or their house clean enough?

I know the smell you mean, but presume I've only noticed it in a couple of houses I've visited because the person wasn't careful enough with their hygiene and/or housekeeping.:think:

Errata

If I dropped dead tomorrow my house would be clean, tidy, smell of lavender and with up to date decoration, fixtures and fittings.

flora48

We bought a house which was a probate property. No problems at all with the sale, in fact it was my buyer that caused the delay.
The property was much neglected and the old boy had smoked upwards of 60 a day in the property so not nice to walk into. However, once all the carpets and curtains were removed the smell was much better. We completely redecorated taking the walls back to bare plaster. No odour at
all now.