Buying a house previously owned by a heavy smoker?

JuanBallOfWimbledon

After searching for almost a year, and dealing with 2 failed purchases, we’ve found a house we truly love. Structurally it looks fine (we’ll have a survey to be sure), it’s very dated inside but only really in need of redecorating, it’s huge, detached, massive garden, in a lovely area, and is very reasonably priced. 

We’re putting an offer in on Monday, but have one slight concern and wondered if anyone here could advise. The house obviously belonged to a heavy smoker, it has been empty for almost a year now, no soft furnishings, no curtains or carpet etc in there, but Lord, the smell! It was so bad that it lingered on our clothes and hair after the viewing. A colleague of mine has suggested that we’ll probably have to re-plaster and replace all the floorboards and lath and plaster ceilings to get rid of the smell. He said when he bought his house from a heavy smoker, they painted and the nicotine would seep through, so they eventually re plastered etc. Does anyone have any experience with this? We love the house, so this isn’t a deal breaker for us, we’d just like to know in advance. 

Edi81

I bought a flat owned by a heavy smoker. 

I ripped up the carpets and bought a super heavy duty undercoat from the painters merchants (can’t remember the name). New carpets laid, fresh paint on top and you would never have known. 

MovingForwards

Give everywhere a good clean, open windows, clean everything again, leave bowls of bicarb, cat litter or neutradol pots out to absorb smells and it should make a huge difference. Painted walls can be cleaned, a stain block paint put on, then your colour of choice.

Like you I viewed a property, walked out smelling like an ashtray and was gasping for a cig by the time I got to my car; I gave them up years ago. I provided a run down of my thoughts to the EA and suggested someone open the windows to air it due to the smell, apparently the EA didn't notice.

deannagone

Use a grease dissolving cleaner and scrub the walls etc.  I use 'flash', always removes nicotine.  If you google there will probably be other solutions (bicarbonate of soda solution, white vinegar or soda crystals will do the same thing as well).  If you don't remove it before decorating, it could still leak through.  

Norman_Castle

Stains will seep through emulsion. Try Zinnser.

Wood floors can be sealed.

Martin_the_Unjust

‘To remove smoke (and the smell) from walls, furniture and floors, use a mild soap or detergent or mix together 4 to 6 tbsp. tri-sodium phosphate and 1 cup household cleaner or chlorine bleach to every gallon of warm water. Wear rubber gloves. Be sure to rinse surfaces with clear warm water and dry thoroughly.’

Thats advice for cleaning smoke damaged walls and surfaces after a fire, should work equally well in the circumstances you describe.

lookstraightahead

How old is the house because if it's really old and you need to replaster etc you will need to use certain types.

UnderOffer

We bought a smokers house. We ripped out carpets and stripped wallpaper, redecorated through out, new flooring and the house was great, the only place I’d occasionally get a smell was in the under stairs cupboard where Hoover was kept, we did carpet in there but not paint. Really didn’t notice it much. So for us we didn’t need to replaster etc., we did have new living and master bedroom windows as these weren’t double glazed, the rest of house had existing windows. 

wizzywilc

I moved into my house 7 months ago. When I viewed it all the woodwork, floors and ceilings had been freshly painted and it was fine. When I went back to do some measuring up (after exchange!) you could smell the cigarette smoke odour from outside the front door. It was horrifying. I subsequently discovered that the previous  owner had lived there for 30 years smoking 60-a-day, and that her executors had spent weeks scrubbing the house before they decorated and put it on the market. I spent my first months there, November- January with as many doors and windows open as I could stand.  And spent a lot of time cleaning the radiators, which hadn't been done thoroughly.
Now the smell is only discernible inside one built-in cupboard. And when I had the heating controller changed the wall behind the fitting was disgusting.  
If you love the house go ahead if you're prepared for the work. You could try for a price reduction, based on the work that needs to be done to make it habitable. 

HampshireH

Strip all wallpaper, carpets soft furnishings when you get the keys and air as you go.

Sugar soap on the woodwork / doors / walls should start lifting the nicotine (it looks disgusting) and then a final clean down with clean water. It's will be hard work 

Make sure the walls as are properly cleaned and zinsser should work for you. It's not cheap but a few coats it is very effective. Stain blocks and seals therefore reducing smell. Your fresh paint will then also help reduce any remaining smell.

It could take a few months of being lived in to go completely though.

We've never had to replaster or replace ceilings due to nicotine.

deannagone

Martin_the_Unjust said:

‘To remove smoke (and the smell) from walls, furniture and floors, use a mild soap or detergent or mix together 4 to 6 tbsp. tri-sodium phosphate and 1 cup household cleaner or chlorine bleach to every gallon of warm water. Wear rubber gloves. Be sure to rinse surfaces with clear warm water and dry thoroughly.’

Thats advice for cleaning smoke damaged walls and surfaces after a fire, should work equally well in the circumstances you describe.

Never ever try to clean smoke damage caused by fire.  I started to clean up my now ex's place after he had a fire with no fire damage but lots of smoke damage.  We were cleaning up as fire inspectors walked in to do an insurance report.  They told us to stop as smoke damage often contains carcinogenic chemicals.  We stopped immediately and let the professionals do it - involved removing all plasterboard. The OP was asking for how to clear cigarette smoke from a property, not smoke damage from a fire.