Hey everyone, I'm about to buy a home that has been heavily smoked in for years. I've come across a ton of mixed advice. Some people say it's nearly impossible to get rid of the smell without tearing everything out, while others think a deep clean and some special cleaners should do the trick. We're considering hiring a crew for ozone treatment or fogging. We have around $5,000 to spend on this fix-up. Do you think it's realistic to expect the smell to be eliminated with this budget? We have five days left to back out, so I'd love to hear your thoughts!
5 Answers
You may need to strip down a lot to really eliminate that odor. For instance, I recommend two good coats of Zinsser primer followed by fresh paint. But the HVAC system is a big issue; no amount of cleaning will completely remove the smoke smell. If you want to keep the cabinets, you might need to do some serious work on the inside to eliminate the odor. It’s a hefty job, but if you're ready to dig in, it can be done!
Right? That's a bare minimum for what’s needed. Trust me, I've seen much higher costs involved.
Honestly, carpets and curtains? Just toss them. That smell sticks like glue! Use a strong degreaser with a lot of elbow grease for the hard surfaces. It’s tough, but you can clean it up if you're willing to put in the effort.
I’m all in for the work. Looks like ripping out the carpet is definitely the way to go!
Ozone treatment is the way to go! Hotels use it for good reason. But be careful, especially with the HVAC system. A perfect duct cleaning often won’t cut it. You might find yourself needing to replace parts of it, which can be pricey. Just a heads-up—don't underestimate the HVAC cleaning requirement!
With that heavy smoke history, I’d expect that you’d need a budget over $5k to deal with everything effectively. If you're convinced about the house, aim to negotiate for some price reductions to cover these costs, since you’ll have a lot of work ahead!
It’s definitely a big project! For a real clean, you're looking at removing everything that absorbs odors—like carpets, plastic items, and deep cleaning all surfaces. You can try some Zinsser primer for the exposed subfloors and paint it with a special odor-blocking primer, but it might not be a complete fix unless you do some serious refurbishment. From my experience, I’d budget for more than what you currently have to truly make it right!
Thanks for the heads up! I guess I’ll have to factor in more time and money than I initially thought.
So, not less than $5k then?