Ozone machine...

Also change a/c filters and maybe have vents and ducts cleaned. Wipe down with Fabuloso inside cabinets and other places not being painted.

call in a company that handles smoke (from an actual house fire) elimination. They will do all the HVAC and anything else where the smoke lingers. They will use an ozone machine and possible priming all the walls w/an odor blocker. If there is popcorn ceilings, have all of those scraped. If there is wall coverings like wall paper or paneling, take it down and re-drywall if you have to.

of course any draperies, or blinds will have to go.

I typically repaint my rentals, but I have asthma and can't stand cigarette smoke. Any time I have a smoker I run the ozone machine for about 5 days. Just put it next to a cold air return that is close to an entrance, and let the AC fan run. KEEP EVERYONE OUT UNTIL IT AIRS OUT. Open windows most of a day to let it air out before entering, I actually hold my breath, run in and open windows and turn on fans and run out to take a breath. I look like an idiot but it works.

We repainted the rooms plus used Ozone machine for a few times after 2 smokers moved out the apartment. We used Ozone machine in every room, one room at the time. The 2 renters stayed there for 6 months but they smoked inside, they knew that wasn’t allowed, but they did it anyway. Now we are listing the apt as no smoking no pets.

You will need to wash the walls, Kilz the entire house, repaint, and steam clean the ventilation system with a truck mounted system (that last really helps). All soft goods need to go, like drapes - just throw them out. Clean floors with vinegar (or vinyl floors with any good cleaner) It can be done. Ozone machine running 24/7 for a few days.

The 2 renters stayed there for 6 months but they smoked inside, they knew that wasn’t allowed, but they did it anyway.

I sometimes suspect that my properties actually cause smoking. Just noting the number of non-smokers at lease signing who suddenly take up smoking after moving in seems exponentially higher than it should be...

they don't need to have children to have it be a big issue. who wants to live in a house that smells like smoke?

i'd buy a different house. i've seen too many dilemmas here that involve more and more drastic solutions and it still comes back.

Over the years, we have learned in a balanced/normal market, a "smokers house" sells less than none smoker houses, sometimes could be as much as 10% less.

We had bought a smoker's house - you could smell it outside. It was aweful. We had to wash the walls with TSP. Then used Kilz primer. Then BM paint. It was a lot of work, but it was worth it. When we washed the walls with TSP, the nicotine just ran down the walls. Disgusting!

I have to agree with hiring one of the companies that do smoke remediation as long as you can afford it. When you add up the cost of supplies and the time that you have spent trying to remove the smell you may have spent more than the cost of a service and still have missed something.

Nicotine stains are horrible. Years ago, I bought a dresser at a garage sale. I thought is was pale yellow but it was white with nicotine stains. I couldn't smell it out in the driveway, but later, whew!

Our house that we have now was a smoker home. Like Cor, the walls just ran with nicotine. What wasn't ripped out was scrubbed and Kilzed. If they do decide to go forward, they need to clean everything. A month or so after we moved in I kept getting a whiff of cigarette smoke every once in a while and couldn't figure out where it was coming from. I finally figured out it was a lightbulb in the hall closet.

I bought a wooden rocker/glider at an auction. It was perfect. Until I brought it in the house, that is.

I set it on my screened in back porch. I’ve washed it and washed it, set it in the sun and rain, left it outside 24-7. It still reeks of cigarette smoke. I’ve had it 4 years.

Friends of ours actually bought a house we looked at and turned down because of the smoke smell . Our sfriends thought an ozone machine and painting would solve the problem but no so. They ened up removing and replacing all the drywall in the house and all the flooring it gets in everywhere .

Buy a different house.

Wash the walls down with TSP, then apply a coat of Kilz and paint , open windows when weather permits to let fresh air in .

It has to be treated in the same way as a home that was damaged by the smoke from a fire. That's a very involved process and the price should reflect this.

When we bought a smoker's house (fortunately only smoked outside, but the inside still smelled awful), we had them agree to remediate as part of the contract, and when it still smelled like smoke afterward, our realtor paid to have it cleaned again (so as not to kill the sale). Things to consider if they decide to make an offer.