Awful smell in house??

Hi Guys,
I viewed a house at open inspection last weekend & am very interested in purchasing.  My problem is that I am unsure what the hugely strong odour in the deceased estate is.
I suspect that some of it could be a urine smell & am unsure whether this will leave the floorboards needing to be replaced.

Does anyone have any ideas about this & what i may be able to do?

Thanks,
K

Mmm, smells in a house.

Having been a volunteer ambo I have been in houses thinking its going to take alot of work to get rid of that smell.

As you suggested it could be urine, it could of had a body left in the house for weeks or simply a dead rat in the roof.  I would first check the roof cavity to elimante that posibility.  If the house isn't on a slab it could be a dead animal under the house.  Something inside a wall cavity.  You will need to have to house openned up and aired out to try and find what areas the smell is strongest.

Better yet, you could pay someone to check it all out for you.  Yuck!!

It could be faulty plumbing in the sewerage under the floor.
It could be incontinence of the previous owner. I have heard lime is good for getting rid of odor in floor boards
Could be possums in the roof they poop and wee all over the ceilings and are active at night time.

Comments are of a general nature and may not be relevant to your individual circumstances. If you intend making any investment, financial or taxation decision you should consult a professional adviser.

Has the deceased been removed from the house? Yech - sorry, I know that was in poor taste.
Seriously though, if it is carpeted, you will likely need that replaced, and you would be amazed how much new paing absorbs smells.
We had a tennant that had dogs wizzing pon the carpet in one of the rooms - and no amoutn of cleaning could get rid of it.

If it is a good deal, and nothing is under the house, negotiate and allow for paint and carpet.

All the best.

what did the agent say about it? Sound like it could be in the carpet underlay - so probably new carpet needed

Although the smell seemed to be urine based, it was worse in the area of the house where the kitchen and bathroom are.  I was thinking it was just be the old carpets in which case i wanted to rip them up and polish the boards.  I am now worried that there may be urine in the boards themselves, or even worse - a serious problem with the plumbing :(
I did not ask the REA as i wouldn't trust his answer.
I will have another look this weekend.

Thanks for your advice guys, more advice is always welcome!!

If the smell is coming mostly from the kitchen and bathroom, it's possible that the water in the drains is stagnating. This happens even after a house has been vacant for two or three weeks (as it did with our place - 50 years old and original bathroom with dead seals didn't help!) and it's quite nasty.

Stick some Draino down all the drains (sinks, floor wastes, the lot) and flush with water for 5-10 minutes. You can look elsewhere if it doesn't go away after that

Elizabeth Elwell-Cook
Property By Bess - Better returns from your property. By Design
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