Smoker Smell Remediation

[Jeremy Martin]

Hi,

My wife and I found a home that we think fits our needs as a primary residence. It has most of the size/features we want and appears to be well taken care of.

We went to see it with our realtor. The moment I walked in, I could tell it was a smoker's house. This was primarily because of the think, "sweet" smell combing from a scented-oil warming that was going in the living room when we arrived. It was instantly and obviously one of those "sweet" smells that smokers use to cover their smell. I believe I also detected at least a hint of actual smoker smell underneath.

I'm so bummed out because everthing leading up to that day was going great, but as we were looking at the house, I couldn't think of anything else but the fact that the seller was a smoker.

I'm now looking at options for smoker remediation, such as scrubbing the hard floors with vinegar, replacing carpet, painting all walls, cleaning or replacing AC duct work, ozone machine, etc. We have the funds to have this work done, and I could probably do much or all of this work myself.

We did make an offer of $262k, ($3k below asking). The home disclousre said the owner only smoked outside on the back patio, and we did see a small metal bucket outside by a chair at back the corner of the house that was full of cigarette butts and empty cigarette packs (like dedicted trash bin for cigaretts that was only emptied when full). The overall impression I got from the house is that it was very clean and well maintained, and there were not obvious signs of smoker buildup and residue in side, so I am hopeful that it's true he did not smoke indoors.

Does anyone have advice or stories to share regarding smoker remediation, or signs to look for that we should walk away?

Thanks so much!