Dallas-Fort Worth Real Estate Investor Club

house with cat smell

  • 10 Oct 2018 4:47 PM
    Message # 6716684

    I have a house I'm looking at buying but has bad cat smell, perhaps cat urine. does anyone know how to get rid of smell if possible.


  • 10 Oct 2018 11:05 PM
    Reply # 6717112 on 6716684
    Robin Carriger (Administrator)

    Here's a link to a discussion of odor remediation from a few years back that might help.

  • 11 Oct 2018 4:19 AM
    Reply # 6717432 on 6716684

    We had that problem with the house we just moved into this year. The prior owner had 3 cats that used the entire upper floor as their litter box.  The smell was pretty bad. 

    We used Nature's Miracle cat urine formula and got good results.  We used a $10 blacklight flashlight to help find the stains in the carpet. It looked like a CSI crime scene.  We then sprayed generously on all the stains.  Occasionally I'll notice a small residual odor but nothing like it was.  Nobody else can smell it. 

    If you're going to try it,  the manufacturer says it's most effective if other strong cleaners have not been used first. 

  • 11 Oct 2018 7:41 AM
    Reply # 6717638 on 6716684

    I purchased a house from an animal rescue person that horded cats and dogs. The house was a 2007 built home but it was completely disgusting. I tried everything known to man but could not get rid of the smell. I tried numerous chemical sprays, paint additives with special sealants with chemical blockers, Kilz, ozone generators, replaced urine soaked baseboards, door frames, doors etc. I sealed the concrete prior to installing flooring. I even changed out the appliances, HVAC and duct-work. Still had the odor! I then tried a more powerful ozone generator and still no luck. Finally I had an ozone generator sized for a 10,000 square foot commercial space flown in from Ohio. I sealed all the doors windows with tape to minimize air leakage (as instructed by the supplier) and let the machine run for 4 days straight inside the sealed house with HVAC blower running. The thing sounded like a jet engine! Problem solved finally! Note that odors are living bacteria! If you don't KILL the living bacteria it will continue to live, reproduce and grow and smell. 

    You can research plenty of articles on the web that explain how ozone generators work. Needless to say I did not make my planned profit target on the house but did'n't lose either. 

    Good luck!

    Steve

  • 13 Oct 2018 6:51 AM
    Reply # 6720494 on 6716684
    Deleted user

    That's crazy Steve! I'm glad you got it worked out and are able to educate others with the same issue.... Given that I do REI part time, these are exactly the types of homes I'd have to walk away from! Walk in, smell odor, walk right back out. I appreciate the passion and effort to get these houses remedied and suitable for others to enjoy! Good stuff. 


    Brian R. Baker, MBA 

    brian@texashousingpartners.com 

  • 15 Oct 2018 11:37 AM
    Reply # 6735131 on 6716684

    Brian thanks for the kind words. You know what I'm going to say next don't you??? Call me before you walk away from that next house! We'll work something out...

    Thanks again!

    Steve


  • 17 Nov 2018 9:38 AM
    Reply # 6911745 on 6716684
    Deleted user

    Absolutely Steve! Passive income is a great thing especially since this is my lightest "new business profit" year since the first year I started in this business... Maybe it's just me but with this market, margins for rehabs are tighter than ever.  This year, I've concentrated on offering loans for affordable housing and still dabbling in the commercial real estate... Very few rehabs in 2018.... More focus on my full-time career. This is a great business and I'm fortunate to be a part of it! 

    Brian R. Baker, MBA 

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