Hey everyone! I'm looking at buying a home in my hometown that was initially listed for $500k, but it went pending for a week and then came back on the market for $475k due to a terrible odor. The smell is a mix of rodent and cat urine, and I could only stand being inside for 5 minutes because it was so strong. They removed all the carpet and replaced the floors, but the smell still lingers. I really like the house despite the stench. Any advice on how to tackle it? My realtor suggested possibly replacing the AC unit, adding a purifier, and replacing the ductwork. I believe the house was recently painted too. What do you think?
5 Answers
Honestly, if there was a lot of cat urine soaked into the carpets for years, the smell could still be trapped in the wood beneath. They might have just added new flooring to cover it up. In my experience, you might end up needing to remove the floorboards to really get rid of the odor. I once bought a place that no one wanted because of a similar situation, and I had to rip out not just the flooring but the drywall as well to eliminate the smell completely.
Don't forget to check areas like the crawl space or attic, and inspect the HVAC ducts. Also, if there's a floor drain, keep it wet. There could be hidden sources of odor you won't want to miss. And if you’re looking for dead animals, they won’t announce themselves! It's worth checking everywhere.
I wouldn’t go near a house with that much animal urine. The smell seeps into everything—the subfloors, walls, and ducts. Unless you’re ready to rip out all the impacted materials, repaint, and maybe use an ozone machine, you might find it tough to completely get rid of it. It sounds like too much hassle to me.
Negotiate with them to lower the price by an amount that would cover the cost of replacing all the floors and sealing everything with Kilz. Don’t skimp on the paint either; make sure it’s an oil-based version. I had a cat issue too, and after replacing the carpet and sealing everything, it made a world of difference. Just make sure to clean everything well before reinstalling new materials!
If you want to tackle the smell, sealing the subfloor with something like Kilz or shellac is crucial after removing the old flooring. You should also look at replacing any soaked drywall, or at least seal it with Kilz. That was a game changer for me when I had to deal with a similar issue.
Good call! It's an important step to ensure you get rid of that odor.
Thanks for the tip! I'll definitely consider sealing the subfloor as part of my plan.