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What's that funky smell?

By
Home Inspector with Aldrich's Home Inspections, Inc.

As most of us are aware, there is an increased number of short-sale, repos (and the like) on the market right now. When I am called in to do an inspection on one of these types of homes, I am always leary of what I might, or might not, find--that is, some folks can get pretty dang malicious before moving out of a house. I have seen complete kitchens and bathrooms (cabinets and all) ripped out of the house; all the light fixtures and door hardware removed; all the appliances (including the generator and wood stove) taken; all the heat ducts disconnected in the crawlspace; and the list goes on...

I think the nastiest thing I have found so far has been the two full-sized fish that were tossed up into the attic space. When I popped open the attic access lid, I almost fell over from the stench!

When I told my clients about the fish they laughed and said that it explained why the windows were wide open in that bedroom the first time they looked at the house.

This and other similar experiences are making me consider wearing a full rain suit when traversing the attic and crawlspaces. Yuck!

Comments (15)

Jon Budish
Resident Realty - Fort Collins, CO

I bet you would like to be able to charge extra fees for hazard pay!

Sep 21, 2009 07:29 AM
Kendall Aschoff
SecurityNational Mortgage - Las Vegas, NV
NMLSR ID: 372723 - Henderson Las Vegas, NV - Mortg

That's funny Jason.  Do you get combat pay these days?  LOL

Sep 21, 2009 07:29 AM
Charles Buell
Charles Buell Inspections Inc. - Seattle, WA
Seattle Home Inspector

Jason now that is a fish story of a different kind.  The worst smelling thing I have come across was a dead 12' python in a crawl space.  I gotta think the fish would be way worse.  Might be like "dumpster diving" behind Red Lobster:)

Sep 21, 2009 07:43 AM
Sandy McKee
Sunstreet Mortgage - Tucson, AZ

Someone probably mad at the bank because they could not afford the house... I hope you had gas mask with you!

Sep 21, 2009 07:53 AM
Lizette Fitzpatrick
Lizette Realty - Richmond KY - Lexington, KY
Lizette Realty, Lexington KY MLS - Kentucky Homes

That's pretty nasty and reblog worthy! Clients think they are getting such bargains with these forclosures or short sales. This is part of what they are getting. I know I wouldn't buy it.

Sep 21, 2009 01:59 PM
Sherry Siegel, Managing Broker, EcoBroker, ABR
BrokersGroup, serving Sequim and Port Angeles - Sequim, WA

Hey Jason! I've read all your blogs tonight. The visuals make for some good information to show buyers why "YES! You have to get a home inspection." Keep it up. Hmmm. Idea here. After you've collected a series of these kinds of photos, you might want to consider making a poster of them, to advertise that it's what the buyer doesn't see that counts.

Sep 21, 2009 09:10 PM
Vince Santos
StepByStep Home Services LC - Canton, MI
Southeast Michigan Home Inspector

The previous owners should be held liable for the cleanup.

Sep 22, 2009 11:14 PM
Erby Crofutt
B4 U Close Home Inspections&Radon Testing (www.b4uclose.com) - Lexington, KY
The Central Kentucky Home Inspector, Lexington KY

Did you hear the one about the divorcing couple.

SHORT VERSION:
Hubby (or vice versa depending on version) stuffed shrimp in the curtain rods when wife won the house.  She couldn't find the source of the stench and put the house on the market.  Nobody wanted it because of the stench.  Hubby bought it cheap.  Wife moved out - taking the cvurtain rods with her.

She couldn't figure out why her new house started smelling just like the old one did!

 

-

Sep 23, 2009 01:26 AM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

I can't believe you were able to take the photos.  Had a repo earlier this year and couldn't stay long enough to take photos.  Had to send in my eviction crew with the camera.  It was bad, but I don't believe there were any fish.  Wonder if previous owner used to put sardines on the manifold of his friends cars right before they left for their honeymoon?

Sep 23, 2009 09:46 AM
Reuben Saltzman
Structure Tech Home Inspections - Minneapolis, MN
Delivering the Unbiased Truth.

Wow, that's nasty.  Reminds me of an inspection my dad did this summer.  He inspected a house in Minneapolis earlier this summer where there was a bunch of rotten food in the kitchen, and when he was done he had to go home and change his clothes and take a shower because the stench followed him home. 

Kind of like that Seinfelf episode with the BO in the car.  It's no joke.  I can only imagine how bad the fish smell was.

Sep 23, 2009 02:02 PM
Jason Aldrich
Aldrich's Home Inspections, Inc. - Sequim, WA
Sequim, WA Home Inspector

People will do some pretty crazy stuff.

Sep 24, 2009 04:01 PM
Arthur Buhrer MLO 114080
Arthur Buhrer, Olympic Mortgage Services CL 1456034 - Sequim, WA
Owner Broker/ Washington State

That is amazing. The sad part is, those look like 25-35 pounders. Such a waste of good fish.

Sep 28, 2009 04:23 PM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Jason,

The one I like, common here, is they lock the dogs, the cats or both in some room with no litter facilities for I know not how long. In some cases I think residents may have joined in the action. When I am wearing my respirator inside the house it is a bad signal.

Dec 13, 2009 07:51 AM
Brian Lee Burke
Kenna Real Estate - Lone Tree, CO
Broker & Advising Expert-Kenna Luxury Real Estate

Oh yuck! I'm glad it wasn't me over there with this find :) ~Rita

Dec 13, 2009 08:30 AM
Glen Kotulek
Home Critique Property Inspections LLC - Austin, TX
Austin Home Inspector, schedule online www.homecritiquepi.com

That's gotta stink!  I had a nasty attic experience last week:  Raccoon with months of feces piled up everywhere!  And he was still up there with me!  I limited my attic time on that one; can't run too fast across those rafters.   Thanks for that post.

Dec 28, 2009 11:58 AM