When you walk into a house many times you will notice a unique smell as you walk in. Sometimes this smell can be nostalgic, like the smell of your grandma’s home. Sometimes the smell may make you excited, like when you smell freshly baked cookies. Sometimes the smell will make you cringe, like the smell of garbage or stinky diapers. Every house has its own smell. Most homeowners do not notice the smell in their own homes but they will notice the smell in other residences. The smells in a house are a varying combination of cleaners, health and beauty products, pets, and activities that residents participate in such as cooking and smoking etc to name a few. When you are searching for a new home you will want to pay attention to the smell when you walk in. While most smells are not a problem, some smells will give you a clue that something more could be going on under the surface that you will want to pay attention to.
House Smells Musty; Could it Be Mold & Mildew?
Any rooms that are damp are the perfect breeding grounds for mold and mildew. Typical culprits are basements, bathrooms, laundry rooms and kitchens. When there is water, there could be mold. If you walk into a house or room and it smells musty, you are breathing in mold and mildew spores. A solid cleaning can effectively eliminate the mold or mildew if the problem is mild. However, if the problem has been going on for a long significant amount of time it can be much harder to control. You will definitely want to consider whether or not mitigation or repairs will need to take place if the mold and mildew problem is larger. Another source of water can also be leaky windows. If the windows in a home are allowing condensation into your home, any room in the house could have mold or mildew. Replacing windows is often the only way to eliminate this problem for good. You will want to consider the high cost of window replacement before making an offer on any home with this problem.
House Smells Like Wet Dog, Cat Urine or Other Pet Odors
Millions of homeowners across the United States are the proud owners of pets. Pet owners typically do not notice the odor that their animals leave inside their house. Normal pet odors can usually be eliminated by airing the house and giving it a good cleaning. If the problem is significant you may need to repaint the entire interior of the home to help get rid of the pet odor. Large problems with pet odors come from the flooring. Some pet owners are meticulous in potty training their pets and in cleaning up any accidents that occur in their house, but others are not as careful. Deep-rooted pet odors might need professional carpet, tile, and grout cleaning to rid the house of unwanted odors. There may also be stains on the carpet and tile that will not come out. Many home buyers incorporate the cost of new flooring into their budget when considering making an offer on a house with pet odors and stains.
House Smells like Cigarette Smoke
If you are a non-smoker, walking into a home where cigarettes, pipes and cigars were smoked inside can be offensive to your nose. The good news is that these odors actually are often easy to eliminate. A good house cleaning, professional carpet cleaning, and some new paint frequently take care of any smoke smells in homes. You may want to consider having your ducts cleaned as well to help purify the air.
Home Inspection Services in Fulton, Spalding, Coweta, Douglas, Pike, Upson & Fayette County, GA
When you are house hunting remember to hunt with your nose as well. If the home that you are looking at has some funky odors in it, you would definitely benefit from a home inspection before sealing the deal. A home inspection report will help you understand whether the odors you smell are normal or something to be more concerned with. Call Lifeline Inspection Services to schedule your home inspection today!
