I currently have a beautiful home on the market at a really good price which keeps getting better!. Every potential buyer (and there have been lots) to date has pointed out the smell of cigarettes; some even turned tail at the front door. Just goes to prove cigarettes, are a very expensive habit! So far the habit has cost this seller over twenty-five thousand dollars!

1. STOP smoking in the house once you put your house on the market ~  Smoke lingers and even if you don't smell it, a  non-smoker certainly will!

2. Paint The Interior Of The  House ~  The whole house including the trim. Air fresheners and candles will only mask the odor temporarily and non-smokers will still sense the old cigarette smell in the air.

3. Clean, Clean, Clean  "Everything" ~ The smell of old smoke seeps into the smallest cracks and areas. This means all furniture has to be cleaned, plus it also means areas such as vents/ducts/air filters. Moldings, chandeliers and windows need to be cleans and all light bulbs should be changed. Once smoke soaks into fabrics, you can never completely get rid of the odor.

4. Carpets and Drapery & Clothes Need To Be Professional Cleaned ~ Nicotine saturates upholstery and gets into the carpet, gets into the carpet padding and also drapery. When you open a closet containing the clothes of a smoker the smell of nicotine blasts you! If it can't be washed in a washing machine, you will need to get rid of the smell professionally. Once the smoke soaks into fabrics, you will never completely get rid of the smells. And, soak blinds in a bathtub with an all-purpose cleaner, and scrub them thoroughly before hanging them back to dry.

5. Open Windows ~ One of the most effective ways to deal with the smell of cigarette smoke is to air out each room for a short time every day. This will also help prevent new odors from building up.

We want to reinforce that “ALL SURFACES” attract smoke and it gets into everything, everywhere.

While there is no guarantee that the above methods will remove all smoke odors before you put your home on the real estate market for sale, they should go a long way to removing most of them before your first potential buyer arrives.

 Sure, this is a lot of work and will cost some money, but you want to get top dollar for the sale of your house, don't you?