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My Moving MisAdventures Part II, What's Going On In That Closet?

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Services for Real Estate Pros

Last week, Rick & Ines - Miami Shores Real Estate posted To smell or not to sell....that is the question, wonderful post! Let me tell you how true that post really is! First lets go to my comments on their post:

Comment 1:

"Ines, Smells and odors are a touchy problem with anyone. I think anyone with a pet will have odor issues (I have cats and even though I can't smell odors I am sure a non pet person can). Those ozone air cleaners are wonderful, (but don't get the cheapies, those are usually knock offs). They really get the job done! We've used them in vacant homes that have had smokers or pets. You shouldn't be in the home when they are turned on full power. "

Comment 2:

"Ines, I would think smokers would know that "OUR" bad habit smells bad. I can say this, I smoke. It smells, no two ways about it. My clothes, my purse, my furniture, my carpet, all of it stinks. How can smokers argue with you? I would have thought pet people, I'm one of those also, and I don't notice any litter box smells but I bet they are there.

Congrats about getting in the NY TIMES GIRL!"

What does her post have to do with my post you ask?

Well, just to show you how we pet owners/smokers don't notice smells here is a little story for you, and no, the CATS DIDN't DO IT!

As I mentioned in My Moving Adventures Part 1, the duplex Steve and I are in now is small and a lot of my things have been in boxes since the day I moved in. Our 2nd bedroom closet backs up the the neighbors kitchen where her sink is. When I moved in the landlord then pointed out some water damage to the wall in that closet and on the other side. He told me the former tenant got angry with him and flooded the kitchen. (Hey I wasn't about to argue with this guy, he was allowing me to move in with 3 cats and 2 dogs!) Through 2 landlords the damage hadn't gotten any worse so I wasn't worrying about it.

My newest landlord had installed a dishwasher in that kitchen and I've not been in that closet since. The newest tenant however complains about every little thing. Me, I just handle it myself. Recently she complained about cockroaches. OK, we live in FLORIDA! This house is older, cockroaches happen on occasion. They come in, my cats kill them, Steve gets rid of them.

  

As I go to clean out my collectible Barbies, photo albums and clippings from my village in Upstate NY about what we did to support the firefighters after 9/11, I discover a HUGE WET MESS in that closet, and a cockroach infestation! EWE!!!!!!!

Notice where the clothes hang to, and to where the line on the wall begins. I never noticed a thing. I never SMELLED A THING

The boxes had be eaten through by moisture and cockroaches, they had invaded. The holes of course were on the wall side of the boxes. The roaches had made wonderful homes among my newspaper clippings and balls of strings I used to crochet with. My photo album from when Yvette was growing up is pretty much history. I was able to save most of her photos thankfully.

I NEVER SMELLED IT!

Why didn't I smell this? I could have saved so many photo memories. Because of smoking. That is the only reason, that and possibly the cats. I think it is the smoking. Ines mentioned that smokers have lost a lot of our sense of smell. I haven't lost all of it but a lot of it, I notice some odors, and once that closet was cleaned out the mold smell hit me like a ton of bricks, along with the wet cardboard.

I bet that dishwasher next door was installed improperly. Now I get to tell them. I'm not looking forward to this! Wish me luck!

On a more positive note, non of my collector Barbies were hurt. Their plastic cases were against the cardboard so they are ok!! We're 65% finished with the move. Saturday should be the last day.

I'll be bringing My Moving Misadventures Part III to you before then hopefully!

 

Comments (32)

Lysa Napolitano
Daytona Beach, FL

Cyndi, Thanks! The new place has had pest control in a couple times already, I've found a few tiny dead bodies :), perhaps it'll be the Florida Norm here.

TLW! Slowly Place The Flame Thrower On The Ground And Step Away From The Barbies! LOL!!! I can't believe I didn't smell it until it came time to remove the boxes, I would go in there on occasion looking for something different to wear to work.

Sarah, Most of the ruined photos were of my 1st Ex, I was going to send them to Yvette one day, no loss to me, but I hope she has has some happy memories of that time. I did save some Christmas photos anyway. I loved Christmas with her, I used to be more excited about it then her! LOL On the lecture, thanks my friend :)

 

love-in-a-mist is my code word, sounds like a new cocktail?

Jul 18, 2007 10:01 AM
Matthew J Blum - (retired from the business)
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Lysa, Oh My Gosh!!!! You look like you are going through such a nightmare move.   I think based on your pics I have a new stock tip.. I think I will go buy RAID..:-)  sorry...
Jul 18, 2007 10:11 AM
Bryant Tutas
Tutas Towne Realty, Inc and Garden Views Realty, LLC - Winter Garden, FL
Selling Florida one home at a time
Lysa, That does look like a nasty mess. Yikes!!!! Ok TLW and I have a quit date for August 14th. Want to join us?
Jul 18, 2007 11:27 AM
Lysa Napolitano
Daytona Beach, FL

Matt, It's not a nightmare, just a small bump! Glad it wasn't worse!

BB, tell ya what, ya'll meet us at 8AM on Sat and lend a hand and we'll think about joining you on the 14th :). Why Aug. 14th? Is there a special reason for that date?  

Jul 18, 2007 12:20 PM
Bob Sloop, Consultant, Indianapolis, IN
RS Mortgage Consulting - Indianapolis, IN
Lysa, I am so sorry for the mess, and for your loss.  I hope you can slavage some of your pictures, etc.  This is not fun, and we have indeed been there through our last  moves too.  It is not fun.  I hope you will enjoy the rest of your move, and good luck, we will be thinking about you guys.
Jul 18, 2007 01:29 PM
Michele Connors
The Overton Group, LLC Pitt & Carteret County - Greenville, NC
Your Eastern North Carolina Realtor

Hoping you can dry some of the pictures out and replace the books they are in. Having lived in Fla I KNOW those Roaches are nasty...I suggest NOT taking the boxes into the new home. Roaches flatten and easily breed in the boxes =you wont see them until they infest the new home. I know paper bags at the grocery store can bring roaches in- scary huh ?

oh yea, smoking is bad too! : _)

 

waiting for part 3!

Jul 18, 2007 01:50 PM
Gary Bolen
McCall Realty - South Lake Tahoe, CA
CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information

Moving, smoking, cockroach's... yuck. My better 7/8ths has a Barbie collection too.  Glad yours was safe. And that the move is mostly behind you.

Cheers... 

Jul 18, 2007 04:05 PM
Joan Mirantz
Homequest Real Estate - Concord, NH
Realtor, GRI, CBR, SRES - Concord New Hampshire

 

 Lysa...I'm glad that your precious photos are salvageable...they are irreplaceable!

Speaking of irreplaceable...I lost my dear cousin this year to Lung Cancer and our friend of 38 years has but a month to live. They were both smokers...they both have/had Lung Cancer.They were'nt old! They will be missed terribly

Give it up Lysa..you are irreplaceable. You can do it! I'm sorry to nag but it hits really close to home right now!

Jul 18, 2007 04:31 PM
Lysa Napolitano
Daytona Beach, FL
Bob, I was able to salvage most of the good memories of Yvette and her cousins. It looks like the rest of the week should go smooth :) Computers go today!
Jul 18, 2007 10:29 PM
Lysa Napolitano
Daytona Beach, FL

Michelle, the boxes have already made their way to the dump. They were gross! The salvageable photos are in a box, I'll put them in a new album at some point for Yvette so she can show my grandbaby. It was just amazing I never saw the little buggers or noticed the putrid smell until I moved the boxes.
Thanks for caring :)

Gary, LOL Better 7/8ths? I've never heard it put that way before! My collection is small, only 5.  

Joan, You are a love. Thanks so much for caring. I do so hate this nasty habit. It stinks, it kills, it wastes good money. We'll see how things progress. The new house is a non smoking house. Baby steps. :)

Jul 18, 2007 10:40 PM
Rick & Ines - Miami Beach Real Estate
Majestic Properties - Miami Beach, FL
OMG Lysa - I come back from vacation and find this smelly mess!!!  Thanks so much for the mention and I really do hope you get your sense of smell back - I would have smelled those roaches from a mile away!!  I am so glad your Barbie collection is fine though.
Jul 19, 2007 09:36 AM
Terry Haugen STAGE it RIGHT! 321-956-2495
Stage it Right! - Melbourne, FL

Hi Lysa, I'm a smoker too.  My remedy is that fabric spray, not Febreze I hate the smell, but one I get at  FAmily Dollar, linen fresh.  I spray the A/C filter and the scent wafts throughout the house.  In addition I have 5 cats, one of which prefers not to pee in the litter box.  Room by room we are removing the carpet and replacing with tile.  Fortunately we do about half our smoking outside in the summer, and most of it outside during the cooler weather.  I can commiserate with you.  Sorry you lost a lot of your stuff.  Lesson learned, a hurricane could have wiped it all out with water coming into the house.  Get yourself some plastic storage containers and store all your valuables in those.  No bugs, no moisture.  Good luck.

Terry Haugen - STAGE it RIGHT!

Jul 19, 2007 09:45 AM
Lysa Napolitano
Daytona Beach, FL
Welcome back Ines! You can smell those nasty things? I can't believe I couldn't smell the mold and moisture!

Terry, I'm working on the plastic containers, its a slow start! No more smoking indoors! My kitties are good with the box for the most part, Harley the older one gets a wild hair when she gets mad tho....
Jul 19, 2007 12:57 PM
Joan Mirantz
Homequest Real Estate - Concord, NH
Realtor, GRI, CBR, SRES - Concord New Hampshire
Lysa...Baby steps have a way of growing into giant steps! Good for you! It's the first step that's the hardest!
Jul 19, 2007 02:04 PM
Rick & Ines - Miami Beach Real Estate
Majestic Properties - Miami Beach, FL

thanks for the welcome Lysa - I will tell you one thing....a keen sense of smell can be a real pain in the behind, so just be happy yours is not working 100% : )

Jul 19, 2007 02:19 PM
Lysa Napolitano
Daytona Beach, FL

Joan, LOL! I have a routine every morning, it's going to be so turned around that I'm going to be going nuts!

Ines, I hear ya lady! I hope you had a nice vacation, I could sure use one myself!

Jul 20, 2007 01:37 AM
Midori Miller
Talk 2 Midori, LLC - Daytona Beach, FL
Online Marketing For Real Estate Professionals
Lysa-oooooooooooh the cockroaches, the smell, my photo's.....I know exactly where you are coming from.  Is this a Florida thing?  Lysa collects barbie's...............hmmmmm....I love it!
Jul 20, 2007 04:40 AM
Lysa Napolitano
Daytona Beach, FL
LOL Midori, you tell me, you're the Florida Girl! I collect Wizard of Oz plates too :) They were in another closet! BTW The cable guy was here when I got here! A hour EARLY!
Jul 20, 2007 08:14 AM
Cyndee Haydon
Charles Rutenberg Realty - Clearwater, FL
727-710-8035 Clearwater, Beach Short Sales Luxury Condos &Homes

Lysa - I guess the upside is being a blogger this is all great material - gotta find the silver lining right :-)

Jack and I lost everything (photos and all 20 years ago) on Christmas day when someone set our house on fire - I know the sense of loss of photos and personal items you can't replace - I'm so glad you could salvage most of it.  

Hope Part III goes better...   

Jul 28, 2007 04:22 PM
Lysa Napolitano
Daytona Beach, FL

Cyndee, omg that is horrible! Why would someone do something so terrible? Most of the memories in that album I was keeping for Yvette, I was able to salvage her photos and ones of me with my favorite niece, who I got to see on Sell This House last night :).

Actually the rest of the move went so dang smooth that there wasn't any good material left :)

Jul 28, 2007 10:46 PM