What’s That Smell… Pet Urine?

We walked in and noticed that the fan in the eat-in kitchen was going about 1500 rpm as if it was poised for take off. It also felt a bit cool inside (the temperature outside was about 50º). Turns out the window in the upstairs bedroom was open about 12”. Now we knew that the owner had left with his “pet” as we had to call ahead due to the “pet.” Seems like there was a faint, but obvious ammonia like smell. My eyes were kinda burning around the lids. Maybe pet urine?

We looked at all the rooms on all the levels, but it was obvious that my buyers weren’t “feeling it’. While the house had some pluses, the pervasive odor was a deal-breaker. We finally got to the point where enough was enough. This house just smelled too bad.

The house had been on the market for a while and I suspect the pet odor was a deal-breaker for the buyers that came before us. Smells like this don’t just go away with an open window and a high-speed fan. If you (the seller) think you have a problem, the odds are great you do have a problem. This is the time to get the professionals involved and eliminate the problem while making sure the cause is removed (ie; the dog/cat with the weak bladder). Think about it, who wants to buy a property where the floor has been used as a pet bathroom.