Buying a smokers house

ReadingTim

mypegasus wrote: »

Just wondered if anybody had any experiences with regard to buying a house that was owned by a smoker.


Seen a house I like in terms of space and layout, but unfortunately appears to have been owned by a smoker.


It's not horrendous in most rooms, bad in one in particular.


Any ideas for solutions welcome, need to have a think as to whether I offer or not.


Thanks

It is considerably harder to change the space and layout of a place than it is to do some painting, decorating, cleaning and window opening to remove the smell of fag smoke. Just thought I'd leave that with you, especially if someone else also likes the place and can see past their nose when it comes to making offers....

rosyw

melanzana wrote: »

If you don't like the smell of smoke, just walk away and find another property.

The OP at least has asked how to sort it, and advice was given. Up to OP now!

As for the rest of you, get off your high horses and leave the decision to those buying. Thank you.

Gosh there is so much of this better than thou around these days.

Couldn't agree more!

Bearing in mind that 20% of the adult population smokes, and you can include me in that %, there must be a massive number of houses that will, to some extent, smell of smoke. For all those saying how "bad" it is etc., a question - when you go out of your front door do you not smell the fumes from vehicles? far more harmful to your health than being in a house where someone has smoked,at least with the house you can get rid of the smell, the air pollution on the other hand is a fact of life. If, like me,the previous owner of the house chose to smoke indoors and you don't like it - walk away - end of!

I am seriously considering putting up a notice on my front door to the effect that as I am a smoker, those that aren't and who choose to object, or make loud coughing noises whilst flapping their hands when in MY house, will be required to stand outside, no matter the weather, while I have a cigarette!

Better_Days

We bought a smokers house just over 3 years ago. A heavy smoker had lived there for years, and the downstairs rooms were particularly affected.

We have repainted throughout, changed all the carpets, washed the curtains that remained, replaced all the windows and doors (needed doing anyway), cleaned all surfaces (light fittings, light bulbs, curtain rails, kitchen cupboards (the tops were covered in a sticky residue) interior doors, banisters everything......

If the property has been shut up for more than a morning or afternoon and I come back in I can still smell it, not bad, but it is there. But I do have a very good sense of smell. It will depend on how sensitive you are to it.

I wouldn't underestimate how much work it will be and how much it will cost to repaint etc. With hindsight I would have also got in a cleaning company in to clean from top to bottom before I moved in. Walls, ceilings, all surfaces. It would have at least been a start. With all the hassle of moving a few hundred pounds would be well spent. Some cleaning companies may offer a specialist smoke cleaning service.

So if the house is perfect otherwise, I'd consider it, but certainly I find it much easier to ignore horrible wallpaper than the smell of cigarettes which can seem to lurk in every corner of the property. Still if you are offering now, you probably won't complete for around 10 weeks, so the weather will be better and you can fling open the windows without freezing.

Fireflyaway

The smell can linger for a long time but having the carpet shampooed and new curtains etc would help. If the walls and ceilings are stained it would need to be washed and repainted so everything is manageable but depends if you can get a good enough price to factor in the time and money?

lincroft1710

StumpyPumpy wrote: »

I'd be worried if yellowing were caused by a SuperSer - they are butane burners, and should only produce CO2 & H2O (+ heat).

The biggest problem with butane is incomplete burning produces CO (really poor combustion can produce soot or C), but while the CO could kill you neither should turn the paint yellow. The spike used to make butane smell is ethanethiol, which though it contains a sulphide group is colourless and used in such minute quantities that it would also not have an effect. So if using a SuperSer is turning things yellow, I'd be wondering what is in the gas cylinder, because it isn't butane!

SP

I always thought Super Sers were propane as they used a biggish Calor Gas cylinder. The heater was at the rear of my parents' living room and you could see the ceiling immediately above had discoloured over time. My mother often remarked upon it.

lincroft1710

bouicca21 wrote: »

Back in the 50s I didn't know anyone who smoked ...

Were you raised full time in a convent? Or were you very lucky. As far as I can remember nearly everyone smoked in the 50 houses around where I grew up. Both men and women.

Even adverts in magazines in the 1950s for non-related products often featured men smoking pipes. Many middle class men smoked pipes rather than cigarettes.

moneyistooshorttomention

lincroft1710 wrote: »

Were you raised full time in a convent? Or were you very lucky. As far as I can remember nearly everyone smoked in the 50 houses around where I grew up. Both men and women.

Even adverts in magazines in the 1950s for non-related products often featured men smoking pipes. Many middle class men smoked pipes rather than cigarettes.

Well that makes two of us that might be considered "very lucky" then.

I remember the adverts and seeing people smoking on tv - but I honestly cant recall anyone near me smoking as I grew up - other than one uncle we occasionally visited that alternated between pipes and cigars.

It was when I got to adulthood and realised that many people (at that time) were smoking in offices and social locations that I even realised there were smokers around basically.

happyandcontented

I remember watching a house programme and Kirsty Allsop said she had bought a flat which had belonged to a smoker and she had it replastered to get rid of the smell.

.

ReadingTim

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I remember the adverts and seeing people smoking on tv - but I honestly cant recall anyone near me smoking as I grew up - other than one uncle we occasionally visited that alternated between pipes and cigars.

It was when I got to adulthood and realised that many people (at that time) were smoking in offices and social locations that I even realised there were smokers around basically.

This suggests that even as late as the 1970s nearly half the population smoked, and I'm sure those figures would have remained relatively consistent in the preceding few decades - certainly after the end of rationing in the early 50's.

So to put it another way, walking down the street, nearly every other person you pass would be puffing away. You may not remember that, but it's not to say it didn't happen.

GwylimT

The first house I bought belonged to someone who smoked in the house, they thought having the back door open would stop the smoke coming in, they had kids as well, the poor little sods.

Upstairs just needed new flooring, sugar soaping, painting and any plastic fittings e.g light fixtures replacing. The windows needed replacing, it would have been annoying having to replace decent UPVC windows due to nicotine.

Downstairs was worse, we had to skim as the nicotine had gone into the plaster, however in the kitchen we had to replace the ceiling and back door as they were heavily stained, the door also stank of nicotine. We were replacing the kitchen anyway, but we ripped it out before we even had rhe new one as the smell was so bad.