As a home inspector in Mesa, Arizona it is not uncommon to inspect homes that are somewhat “less than perfect”. Especially with the large number of foreclosures on the market. The innocent home is sometimes the recipient of misguided aggression and the results can be anything from large holes in the walls to literally everything removed including the plumbing pipes and wiring.
So when I get a call to do an inspection on a traditional sale it is kind of refreshing. Especially one that is still occupied. After making arrangements with the sellers I arrive at the inspection this morning promptly at 8:00am. The sellers said they would be home during the inspection which can be beneficial for questions about A/C service history, etc. The moment the front door opened I knew that this would not be a “normal” inspection. The smell of dog and cat poop immediately engulfed me. Not just a little whiff, we’re talking industrial strength animal shelter kinds of odors. The kind that make you sick to your stomach.
The sellers invited me in (Do I have to?) and told me they have 3 dogs and a cat. (I had no idea…) They then told me to “Never mind the dog poop in the living room” (Yes – I cleaned up the language) as they had “not cleaned up for a while”. The dogs were the ankle biting non-stop barking variety. There were 3 or 4 dog piles on the living room carpet. And in the kitchen. And in one bedroom. And the cat box was situated under the sink of the master bedroom. The cat backed up against the inside of the cabinet to do his thing but had missed the box so often that the cat urine has saturated the wood side and floor of the cabinet.
Other than these obvious problems and the fact that the house appeared to have not been cleaned/dusted in years, the remainder of the inspection was relatively normal.
And this is not the first occupied home I have inspected that had bad animal odors or was stacked full of junk and just plain filthy. When I spoke to the Realtor about the smell of the house the reply was very nonchalant, kind of like “it is what it is”.
I guess my point to all of this is I can’t imagine a seller that would even think about trying to sell their home without some attempt at cleaning to make it a bit more presentable. How do Realtors deal with homes like this? I would certainly think a home like this would be a challenge for both the seller’s and buyer’s agents. On the other hand, I was doing an inspection which means someone actually wanted to buy it. I feel for the Realtors who get the “opportunity” to show a house like this to clients. I’m just glad I only had to experience it for a few hours. After this home inspection I’m actually looking forward to the empty foreclosure I’m doing tomorrow with a non-working A/C unit. It will be an improvement!
Tip of the Day: I have had several clients use white vinegar to successfully remove animal smells from carpet, cement and wood. Try a small spot on the carpet to make sure it won’t hurt the color. It works really well in situations like I just described above!
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