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Tuesday, July 31, 2018

How Much Cigarette Smoke Decreases Resale Value

Smoking in a home can reduce that property’s resale value by up to 29 percent, according to realtor.com®. And home buyers who fall for a home that reeks of smoke shouldn’t assume the odor will go away as soon as the smoker moves out.

Tobacco-specific nitrosamines and nitrous acid can cling to walls and other surfaces within the house. “You could breathe in several hundred nanograms of these carcinogens long after the last cigarette burned out,” warns Joshua Miller, director of technical training at Rainbox International, a home restoration company.

Researchers at San Diego State University measured third-hand smoke pollutant levels in smokers’ homes after they moved out. They found that pollutants remained two months later, even after the homes had been cleaned and vented.

Sellers are not required to disclose that someone smoked inside a home. Buyers can detect a smoky smell themselves, or they may suspect a strong wave of air fresheners is masking an odor. A home inspector may be able to weigh in, too, or buyers can have their agent ask the seller’s listing agent directly.

Removing the cigarette smell from a home is not easy and sometimes removing entire systems is the only way to remove the stench quickly—the smoke will seep into everything.

"Clean the air ducts,” advises Richard Ciresi, owner of Aire Serv in Louisville, Ky. “Professional air duct cleaning is an effective way to eliminate odors that manifest when you turn on the furnace or AC.”
He also suggests changing the filter on your HVAC unit as frequently as every 30 to 45 days.

Miller recommends washing the walls and ceiling with a 3:1 vinegar-water mixture. “Ceilings can be the biggest culprit in a persisting smoke smell in a home, since cigarette smoke tends to travel upwards and latch onto the first surface it comes in contact with,” Miller says.

Repainting the walls may help but the smell will eventually come back if homeowners don’t first use an odor-neutralizing primer, such as Kilz, before repainting.

Fabrics can also hold smoke. “You can sprinkle a deodorizing powder like baking soda on carpets,” Miller suggests. Odors can cling onto lightbulbs as well, so be sure to insert fresh bulbs.

Source: Realtor.com®

Monday, July 30, 2018

What Buyers Want in New Homes

New-home buyers now rank all-white kitchens—once the most in-demand aesthetic—as their second choice, below natural wood cabinetry, according to a new survey from homebuilder Ashton Woods.
Respondents to the survey, who are prospective buyers planning to purchase in the next 10 years, picked distressed wood cabinetry as their third most popular choice.

They also said living space is more important to them than bedroom size. Sixty-one percent say they would trade a larger bedroom in order to get a larger living area, according to the survey.

Hobby rooms and home offices are also on their priority list, with 67 percent of respondents saying they want an office in their next home.
 
Source: The Washington Post (July 26, 2018)