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It's harder to sell a house with a wall like this.

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Advantage

Nicotine walls

 

I have never smoked.  Truth is when I knew how much a smoking habit would cost, I decided way back in my youth that I didn't need to get hooked. That's when cigarettes were 35 cents a pack and I had no income.

Everyone else smoked and I married my husband, who was a bad heavy smoker.  I was so naive that I couldn't figure out why there was this yellow gook all over his bathroom and it came back no matter how many times I scrubbed it down.

He, and most of the country, finally quit smoking.  Now we are all so much more aware of the dangers of smoking and of second hand smoke. 

As a real estate agent, I am also very conscious of how smoking in a house hurts it.  Look at these walls. You can tell where the pictures were.  It has to be from so much nicotine.  If you smoke, don't smoke in your house.  Your walls will look like this and it will cut down on your sales chances. 

 

 

Kevin O'Shea
Coldwell Banker - White Plains, NY
White Plains, NY Real Estate

We had a co-op apartment that had that smoke smell.  We used Febreze on the walls and drapes and carpeting.  It took 2 different times and some airing, but it took the smell out and we sold the unit.

 

All the best!

May 27, 2008 02:40 AM
Debi Ernst
St. Charles County, Missouri - Prudential Alliance Realtors - O'Fallon, MO
GRI, e-PRO, Broker/Sales Associate

I agree.  I've been in many homes with that horrible cigarette smell.  It turns off many buyers.  The odor is very difficult to get rid of.

May 27, 2008 03:09 AM
Sheron Cardin
California Moods Inc - Selma, CA
ARTIST - A Home Stager/Sellers Best Friend!

Hi Barbara - I don't know...I think those walls are a pretty yellow ochre! Too bad they had pictures hanging...no one would ever know. Just kidding of course. Paint isn't going to cover up that stench...is the whole house like that? What did or are you going to do? Looks like the drywall needs to be either sealed and then covered with fresh drywall or the current drywall torn out and replaced. Do let us know how you dealt with it.

May 27, 2008 04:27 AM
Emma Vargas
Simply Staging - Cameron Park, CA
Simply Staging

Hi Barbara-  I tried once to convince the agent of a home like this that it needed to be cleaned, re-painted, rugs pulled out, etc...  Unfortunately, the RE agent was also a smoker and didn't think the house was that bad, so needless to say, the home sat on the market for a very long time (over a year).  Only another smoker might appreciate a house like that! 

May 27, 2008 05:01 AM
Mary PAUL, ABR, CRS,GRI, e-PRO,
RE/MAX Advantage Realtors, Searcy, AR - Searcy, AR

Barbara,

Can you imagine what the owners lungs look like?  I never smoked either and I am so glad I didn't!  Most buyers don't like homes that have been smoked in.

May 27, 2008 05:34 AM
Nancy Robertson
Signature Style Staging - Dallas, TX
RESA

I've been in houses like this before.  The walls and ceilings were yellow, and the smell in the carpet and window treatments was unbelievable!  Having asthma, I really can't get out of a house like that quick enough!  YUCK!  Unless a buyer smokes, they don't like it either and don't want to hang around for long.  Too bad homeowners who smoke don't have a clue of how badly their homes reek!

May 27, 2008 07:58 AM
Michael Greenslade
Better Homes & Gardens | Mason-McDuffie Real Estate - San Leandro, CA

I inherited my home from my grandmother who smoked.  The walls were stained like that too.  Tri Sodium Phosphate T.S.P. cleans nicotine smoke really well.

 

May 27, 2008 10:33 AM
James Downing - Metro DC Houses Team REALTORS®, CRS, GRI, ABR,MRP, MilRes
Real Living | At Home - Washington, DC
When Looking to Buy or Sell - Make the Right Move

Ewwwww !!!  I smoked in high school to "be cool".  a pack was .75 cents then.  I am glad I gave that habit up!   

May 27, 2008 01:06 PM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Now, Gary, were you in that room to smoke???  Hope not!

Sam, I guess the smoke is not as bad as some things we see!  LOL

Shobha, it would be hard to decorate around this, wouldn't it?  And the lungs of smokers have this lining.

 

May 27, 2008 01:54 PM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Solaris, thanks for stopping by and commenting on my blog.

Melody, what would we say...."Caution, smoked up house ahead!"  LOL

Alpine Lakes, I've never tried to paint over smoke.  Thanks for tip.

Joe, I also know smokers who smoke outside, never in the house.

Kim, the smell is probably very bad.

Jim, I hate a smoke smelling house also.  Thanks for comment.

Michael, my husband the car dealer, when he was a smoker would bring me smoked in cars to drive and he never understand my complaints about the smell.

May 27, 2008 01:59 PM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Kevin, you must have owned that unit for you to have worked that hard to get it sold.  Fabreze, huh?  Will try.

Debi, thanks again for stopping by.

Sheron, this isn't my listing.  I pulled this off MLS, believe it or not.  There was another photo, also, with about the same look.  I can't imagine it being anything by nicotene.

Emma, most of the smokers probably can't afford to redo a house.  The smoking habit costs too much now.  LOL 

Mary, remember my listing that you turned and walked out of.  Even its walls didn't seem to be this bad.

May 27, 2008 02:03 PM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Nancy, smokers truly don't know how bad the smell is.  I think our office smokers have mostly all quit but before they did, we could smell them walk through the entry door.  Bad smelling!

Michael, thanks for the tip.

James, I'm glad you gave it up now.  My understanding is that they cost over $2 a pack now?  What a waste of money!  P. S.   I think you are still "cool".

May 27, 2008 02:07 PM
Ron Tarvin
Residential, Investment properties, rehab projects, property management, luxury homes, new construction! - Katy, TX
Broker, Katy, Houston, Cypress 77450,77494,77095

I've shown plenty of homes where the showing only lasted 20 seconds or so.  Homes that people were really excited to see and that excitement evaporated after about 20 seconds of the after effects of smoking. 

Are cig prices up to offset the decrease in users? 

May 27, 2008 04:45 PM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Ron Tarvin's Team, 20 seconds is just about it.  The buyers exit rapidly!  Don't know about the prices of cigarettes.  I'm just glad I don't have to pay for them.

May 28, 2008 12:20 AM
Charles Buell
Charles Buell Inspections Inc. - Seattle, WA
Seattle Home Inspector

Barbara, here is an appropriate cigarette song for you :)

May 28, 2008 01:13 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Charles, thanks for finding that old song on youtube and sending to me.  That was one BIG favorite years and years ago.  I even remember my parents liking it.  Must have convinced lots of new smokers that smoking was a real pleasure....above everything else.  : )

May 28, 2008 01:45 AM
Carol Culkin
Diamond Partners Inc - Overland Park, KS
Overland Park Residential Real Estate

Barbara - why don't smoker's see how that's so disgusting!

Jun 06, 2008 08:16 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Carol, I guess they couldn't see it til the pictures were down.  LOL  Thanks for comments.

 

Jun 06, 2008 08:24 AM
Cindy Bryant
Redesign Etc. Home Staging - Houston, TX
"Houston Home Staging Pros"

I hate cigarette smoke, and am allergic to it.  That wall is absolutely disgusting...yuk!!

Jun 06, 2008 04:26 PM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Cindy, thanks for stopping by.  Didn't mean to fire up your allergies!  : )

Jun 07, 2008 12:19 AM