Real Estate

In today’s real estate economy, here’s some home selling help that could make a difference for you. Online auctions frequently have the phrase “from a non-smoking home” in their product descriptions. Non-smokers immediately take notice. Stricter legislation and more media coverage is bringing the topic of smoking to the forefront of people’s minds more often. The effect of the economy on real estate is like the effect of cigarette smoke on a home. Who knew it could affect so many different things and be around this long? Even the smallest edge counts in a market where competition is tough, home values have dropped and qualified buyers are scarce.

Most homes have a subtle odor that’s part of the lifestyle of the owners. It may be from pets, cleaning products or yesterday’s dinner. But if anyone in the house smokes, nicotine odors may be noticeable as well. Most smokers don’t smoke in their homes, but for those that do, it can affect the future sale of the home by reducing the number of buyers that would be interested. Smoke goes everywhere, and tobacco odors can be re-activated by heat or humidity, so cleaning the residue is a major undertaking.

When sellers face an uphill climb to sell their home, you hate to see buyers walk away because the smoke removal task seems so daunting. It’s not just the work involved, but the overall cost can influence a potential buyer. Window coverings and carpets need to be professionally cleaned or in the case of allergies, completely replaced.

After the floor and window coverings are taken care of, there’s more. Nicotine also builds up on the ceiling and the walls. These surfaces will almost always require complete repainting. Because the nicotine can bleed through multiple layers of paint, you’ll first need to wash, rinse and dry all surfaces, then apply a primer that is made for sealing out stains and odors. Without it, nicotine stains can seep through several coats of fresh paint overnight.

Remember to scrub the furnace ductwork (replacing the filter) and the closets and windows. All surfaces of cabinets and drawers should be cleaned too. Because smoke is attracted to lights, clean the fixtures, bulbs and any ceiling fans in the home. An often missed spot is tile grout. It’s no fun to clean because it’s porous and absorbs everything. If the tile is in a bathroom, the grout may need to be replaced because humidity can cause odors to resurface.

Check the effectiveness of the cleaning by leaving the house for a few days with the windows closed. Then bring someone that’s sensitive to cigarettes through the home to see if they can smell any nicotine. Do anything you can to get the edge in a competitive real estate market. When you remove cigarette smoke from the home you are selling, you will end up with a larger pool of buyers. In a slow market, you want all the home selling ideas you can get.