The house smelled fine during the showing. Then you got the keys, the candles and plug-ins were gone, the AC had been off for a few days, and now there’s a smell. It happens to new homeowners and renters all the time. The good news: most move-in odors have a findable cause, and the best time to deal with them is before your furniture goes in.
What’s That Smell? The Usual Suspects
- Stale smoke: a previous owner who smoked inside. See how to get rid of cigarette smoke smell or weed smoke smell.
- Pets: urine in the carpet pad, subfloor or grout. See how to get rid of pet urine smell.
- Musty or damp: often a sign of moisture. See what a musty smell means in a Florida home.
- A smell when the AC kicks on: see why your house smells when the AC turns on.
- Heavy cooking, perfume or air fresheners that soaked into walls, cabinets and carpet over the years.
- Sewer or rotten-egg smell: dry drain traps are common in homes that sat empty; run water in every drain. If it smells like gas, get out and call your gas company or 911.
What to Do Before You Unpack
- Run the AC and change the filter. A new filter is the cheapest fix there is.
- Walk room by room and note where the smell is strongest. A smell in one area points to a source. A smell everywhere often points to the AC or something soaked into the whole home, like smoke.
- Clean while the home is empty. Wash walls and cabinets, clean or replace carpet, and clean inside closets.
- Prime and paint with an odor-blocking primer if smoke or cooking odor is in the walls.
- Treat the whole home for odor last, after cleaning and before furniture goes in.
If It’s Musty, Get It Checked First
A musty smell in a home you just bought or rented can mean a leak or moisture problem the previous owner didn’t know about, or didn’t mention. Don’t cover it up. We offer a free visual inspection with moisture readings and an infrared (thermal) camera to look for hidden moisture behind walls and ceilings. Lab testing is separate if it’s needed. Florida licenses: Mold Assessor MRSA4035, Mold Remediator MRSR4158.
Clearing the Odor Before Move-In
An empty home is the easiest time for a whole-home treatment. Our whole-home odor removal treatment treats the air throughout the entire home, including one AC system, to remove odor left behind by the previous occupants. You’ll be out of the home for about 8 hours. It’s an odor treatment only, so moisture, mold, soaked carpet pad or other sources have to be fixed first.
Curious how it works? Read how the whole-home odor treatment works, and what it can and can’t do.
Whole-Home Odor Removal in South Florida: $997
Our Whole-Home Odor Removal Treatment is $997 and includes one AC system ($550 for each additional AC unit). You can buy and schedule it online, or call 877-224-2532 to request a free visual inspection. We answer 24/7; when you call, we’ll tell you honestly when a technician can be there based on that day’s schedule. Hablamos español.
About the author: James Rice-Peña is the owner of FL Cleanup and a Florida-licensed Mold Assessor (MRSA4035) and Mold Remediator (MRSR4158). He has worked in property restoration in South Florida since 2012, and FL Cleanup has earned 200+ five-star Google reviews.
