smokers...would you rent to them?

I would keep my "soft" items (ie pillows, blankets, rugs, etc.) to a minimum since odors are harder to remove from those items than hard surface decorations.  Otherwise, use VERY inexpensive decor so you can part with it when the job is done (should the odor linger on your items).

Best wishes, and let us know how it turns out for you!

Well, Kimberley, it may be time to write a new policy to make sure this doesn't happen again.  Why do they want to rent items from you? 

I generally do not rent to occupied homes, period, especially if they are smokers or have pets or children.  (I'm not a smoker, but I do have pets and children and I'm not taking that kind of risk.)  Have you thought of offering them some personal shopping services?  Even if they don't 'smoke in the house' the smell still permeates everything and that leaky bladder is scary.

Maybe it is time to come clean with your concerns and/or ask for a security deposit in case the items are returned unrentable?

If I am using my own inventory, I wouldn't rent to smokers or people with indoor pets.

You could get an air purifier, although they are not cheap it sounds like they work. The only thing you could do is go back and say you are noticing a lingering smell and are not comfortable leaving soft goods therefore they would have to purchase.  The suggestion about buying less expensive items is good - I do not feel you would be cheating your clients under the circumstances - they are not worried about your merchandise smelling are they?  You would be cheating yourself to buy expensive items and then not be able to use again.  If they haven't signed a contract yet you could add in a security item for damaged goods.

Kimberly,  I try educate my sellers about what buyers are looking for and why there home will not sell.  I would have suggested everything get a fresh coat of paint, carpet cleaned and no smoking!!! I would suggest rented or borrowed furniture (I would not put my items in this home until it was completly smoke free).  I recently staged a home with 3 adults, 5 children, and 3 huge dogs.  I was honest and said the dogs have to be kenneled, they replace flooring and painted.  It sold in 13 days!  Don't be afraid to let them know why it won't sell.  Everyone will respect you for it!

Kimberly, I am totally in agreement with Kimberly Wester.  I do not rent my things to occupied homes with VERY few exceptions.  Sometimes accessories and small furnishings will go into a: second home with no young children, the older couple with no pets, other couples with no children and pets.  You get the picture.  When damage is done I've found it difficult and sometimes uncomfortable to collect for replacing my items. 

I don't know how others feel, but here in CA if a house smells like smoke potential buyers turn around before the get past the foyer.  They just don't sell.  The ozone air purifiers do work and some of the retailers for them will rent units for just this purpose. Google ecoquest to find a dealer near you. 

Good luck. 

I have the same policy as Kimberly. I do have a clause in my contract that states:

"If there are pets or small children living in the home during the selling period, AJDS reserves the right not to provide upholstered furniture or soft goods for the staging. Due to expected damage caused by smoking it is agreed that no smoking will be allowed in or on the property during the term of the staging agreement."

You can always ask for a deposit, and/or offer to get them some new items that they can take to their new home. That is a personal shopping fee ;)

A smoky property IS a huge, huge deterrentin itself.. but with dog pee... I would not put anything that would absorb smell. You might as well tell them ... based upon your professional opinion... they MUST do something about it or they are seriously jeopardizing the sale of their home. Good Luck, Lori Kim.

Hi Kimberly,

The solution is an industrial strength ionizer.

They are 100% effective on deeply embedded odors of any type,even through fabric and carpet, and if it is commecial grade, and not a wimpy $150 one, you will find it positively miraculous, because the odors DO NOT RETURN.

The only way a properly ionized dwelling can have odor is if the odor is re-introduced after ionization.

We sell these little beauties for $649. We rent them for $79 a day to Realtors and Homeowners.

Use them on your stinky listings, and use them to keep your inventory fresh as a daisy all the time, even in storage.

No Realtor or Stager should be without one!!!

See this blog for more details. See my website for a thorough analysis for what they are, how they work, why NASA backs up the technology, how safe it is, and other statistical data. They kill mold and mildew, and antibacterialize all surfaces at a 94.4-99% successful kill rate. Surgical wards use them to keep hospital Operating Rooms germ free and report zero "OR-related" infections for years.

If you want to reduce odor, buy something else, like a plug-in or some carpet freshing powder. If you want to eradicate it permanently, YOU NEED THIS.

~Michelle

Kimberly, in a word --- NOPE. In more words --- I go with LKP's idea to allow the home owner to purchase what is needed for the staging. And with other folks' words of advice concerning giving the home seller the "bad news" concerning what it takes to get a property sold in today's market.

Kimberly- This sounds like a tricky and hard to decide on situation here really. You could lose potential clients with a new policy, although a security deposit on ALL stagings really is a good idea, just like a good insurance policy. You could do as some have mentioned and go with cheaper "goodies" and garage sale finds (some of which can actually be really good anyways) but these "at risk" and "potential stinkers" could have friends that are not like this and if they see your work and it appears cheap that could reflect poorly on yourself and your business and that is never good. You could flat out not stage any occupied homes and potentially lose alot, or you could do them all including the smokers and pets (although if they have a leaky bladdler pet or children I would try everything to use their sofa and more expensive "soft items" that could be extremely easily ruined (however with a security deposit and good insurance your loses should be kept to a minimum).

Also alot of times even the best cleaners cannot get the "stink" out of a home from smoking as it soaks into everything, To really get rid of the smoke smell carpet needs to be replaced and the entire home needs a good coat of paint (after the walls & ceilings are cleaned of course). We have bought and remodeled tons of homes over the years and found that is the only really effective way to completely get rid of the odors (same as with pet urine odors, except sometimes with the really bad ones after the carpet and pad are out you have to paint the floor with KILZ then install new carpeting.

If you want to try the air purifyer check Wal-Mart (or other we have it all store) and go with a few of the smaller room purifyers with one in each room that has the worst smell) I picked one up for my bedroom because I was having problems sleeping and heard purified air would help. It cost about $30 and works great! New filters are like $10-15 for a 2 pack and last about 90 days (but you might want to change them more frequently around smoke).

I hope this helps and goodluck. I honestly don't know what I would do in your shoes though :-\ Goodthing for me I just do the outsides (and I charge more/ won't mow the lawns if they don't clean up after their pets)

I would also suggest that you insist the owners pay for rental of an air purifier/ionizer before installing your inventory.  That is a very reasonable request and as long as they promise not to smoke anymore after your items are rented you should be okay..

I feel for you. Have you signed the contract already or just verbally told them you would rent? I'm assuming it is too late to price the rentals so high they will pass on it?

I think I would just get up the nerve, set up a meeting and tell them that over the last 4 years you've never encountered a property like theirs so you were not prepared for what you walked in to. Regretfully decline to provide rentals unless something is done regarding the pervasive smell (have options available to them).

I love the sound of Michelle's industrial strength ionizer. I'm off to check out her blog about it.

At least now you have ideas for a new policy moving forward after this staging project.  My contract also states that smoking is not allowed in the home while my inventory is on the premises....also that the client is responsible for any damage to inventory while the property is staged.  There's nothing worse than smoke smell.

LOL that worked out great I can't believe it...too funny!