Buying a smokers house

GDB2222

We inherited half of MIL's house. She smoked like a chimney. We couldn't give the furniture away. That went to the dump, along with the carpets and the light fittings. The walls were washed, then stain blocked, before repainting. The built in wardrobes stank of smoke for months, even after being washed down inside and out.

It's all doable, but it costs some money and lots of time.

robatwork

Not just smokers either - beware the vapers. I had the displeasure of having to clean up the light fitting in a room whose occupant was a heavy vaper. Not pleasant either.

ripplyuk

Anywhere with open fires will take some serious cleaning up too. My MIL's house seems to have everything stained from the soot including light bulbs, wallpaper etc.

If the previous owners liked fried food it's even worse, like the whole place has been covered with a thin layer of grease. My granny's is like this but she doesn't seem to notice.

A smokers house will be easier to clean up than either of those. It depends how heavy they smoked and whether they aired the place properly etc. Things will be yellowed if they haven't kept up with the decorating but it's easily rectified.

G_M

Makes you think back. Remember how pubs used to be? And we took it for granted and put up with it.

Thank god for the smoking laws....!

moneyistooshorttomention

G_M wrote: »

Makes you think back. Remember how pubs used to be? And we took it for granted and put up with it.

Thank god for the smoking laws....!

I never took it for granted.

It has always totally eluded me as to just why people would want to smoke anyway - and also the money literally going up in smoke.

I used to hate being forced to breathe it in at work and "ohmegawd - all those smoke-filled meetings" (literally) in pubs and the like. Followed by having to re-wash clothes I'd only literally put on that day - because they reeked of other peoples smoke. I could never understand why smokers thought it was okay to subject the rest of us to this - even if it did prove a useful litmus test right at the outset to judge how selfish (or otherwise) someone was. At least the 21st century litmus test of selfishness that has emerged in recent years isnt one that is harmful to health and creates extra housework I suppose....

I was so pleased when the laws changed on that.

leespot

My first house was owned by a heavy smoker - gutted the place and replaced everything in it. Got rid of the smell, but drastic measures if you're not planning on doing that anyway!

mypegasus

Many thanks for all the replies.


There's only me and my four footed friend to move so no children.


I'm sort of thinking that it's not necessarily a no - go just need to factor in that redecoration/carpets etc will need to be done. And prior to that a very thorough clean of the whole house.


Would be planning to redecorate over a period of time anyway - there are fitted wardrobes in one bedroom - assume that these will probably be best going.


Any other hints and tips gratefully received.


Planning to go back for a second viewing as think the house had been shut up for an age before I viewed.


Thanks again.

lincroft1710

TheGardener wrote: »

Its not that long since you would have been hard pushed to find a house that hadn't been smoked in - between that and coal fires.

I think if you grew up in houses like that (which most of us did in the 1950s) you just didn't notice the smell and the yellowing was par for the course. There is a theory that filter tipped cigarettes cause more smell, untipped cigarettes only tended to lose favour in the 1960s.

Another cause of yellowing in the 1970s/80s were Calor Gas Super Ser portable heaters (other propane/butane gas portable heaters were/are available)

moneyistooshorttomention

lincroft1710 wrote: »

I think if you grew up in houses like that (which most of us did in the 1950s) you just didn't notice the smell and the yellowing was par for the course. There is a theory that filter tipped cigarettes cause more smell, untipped cigarettes only tended to lose favour in the 1960s.

Another cause of yellowing in the 1970s/80s were Calor Gas Super Ser portable heaters (other propane/butane gas portable heaters were/are available)

I don't know whether I'd agree most of us did.

I grew up in a non-smoking household (part of why I hated other people doing so so much). The only portable heaters I recollect were electric ones. There was a main electric sitting room fire (fixed in place) and, latterly, storage heating (that was barely used:().

As far as I recollect - that was the norm for my friends as well. I did see coal fires in a few peoples houses I recall (something that we didnt have - as my parents started in a Victorian terrace house but wanted modern houses - hence no fireplaces).

bobobski

Shout out for the smokers who smoke out the window and have zero yellowing or smell in their abodes :wave:

Also I grew up in a house with two wood fireplaces and absolutely no soot anywhere - my mother was a clean-freak.

Sorry, I just really don't like generalisation.