Hey everyone! I'm currently looking into purchasing my first house and I've run into a bit of a problem. When I visited the place, it had a strong smell of cigarette smoke, which immediately raised a red flag for me. Despite being newly renovated with fresh paint, new appliances, and flooring, the smell lingered. I figured perhaps the flipper skimped on odor-blocking treatments, but it turns out they did apply Kilz primer on the walls, yet the odor persists. I'm concerned that the previous owners, who lived there since the '70s, might have deeply embedded the smoke smell into the house. This makes me think I might need to replace the drywall, insulation, and possibly the subfloor to eliminate the smell completely. Is this issue manageable, or should I think about walking away from the deal?
3 Answers
We saw a house with a similar issue, where the owner only smoked in the garage. But the smell was everywhere, and I still didn't know how much work it would take to get rid of it. Just something to think about.
You should definitely look up 'third hand smoke'—it's a real concern. I'd suggest passing on this house if the smell is that embedded.
Honestly, if it smells that bad, you might be looking at a total gut job. The costs to fix this wouldn't be worth it in the long run. You'd probably be better off investing that money elsewhere, like into an index fund.