Buying Home with Cigarette Smoke Stains

[Simona Potocar]

Is there a shortcut to prepping a home for paint when the previous owner smoked in every room?

The ceilings are textured (stipple) and they have smoke stains on them. The walls are smoke stained. And the home is rather big, 1650 square feet, 3 bedrooms 2 baths.  That's a lot of wall and ceiling to sponge clean!!

It is my own home purchase and I'm a single mom who is not crazy about the idea of sponging down each and every ceiling and wall, priming each and every ceiling and wall and then painting.

I'm willing to pay someone to help me do that, but I am looking at the most cost efficient and time efficient way to do this.

Has anyone ever had the same problem?

Thank you in advance for your help!

[Sean Ridlon]

Are you planning on replacing the flooring as well? Your best bet is going to be a degreaser of some kind, rinse, apply TSP (trisodium phosphate), rinse, and paint.