strong cat urine odor

Rehabbing & House Flipping
15yFollow

strong cat urine odor

Kellen M
Bonaire, GA · Member since 2008 · 20 posts · 0 votes

Thinking about purchasing a property with cat urine around the refrigerator but the smell travels over other parts of the house. My question: Should I calculate that expense to fix it into my offer price or bid regularly and if the inspector finds the problem, ask for the seller to fix it?? It is a foreclosure, so it would be the bank that I'm dealing with. Thanks for your responses!

0Reply
67 views

Most Popular Reply

James Hamling
Real Estate Broker · Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2011 · 5k+ posts · 6k+ votes
15y

OMG, I LOVE the smell of cat urine in the morning........ it smeels like money!!!!!

Cats like other animals mark there area, there will be urine every where. You beat that wonderful cat urine drum until it ignites into a huge discount fire.

Then when you buy with your best discount, rip out all carpet, all pad, spray a bleach water mix on all hard surfaces, use Killz to prime coat the floor, and re carpet.

Killz is the only product that really works 100% of the time for animal urine.

2Reply
See this reply in the discussion

14 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • James Hamling
    Real Estate Broker · Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2011 · 5k+ posts · 6k+ votes
    15y

    OMG, I LOVE the smell of cat urine in the morning........ it smeels like money!!!!!

    Cats like other animals mark there area, there will be urine every where. You beat that wonderful cat urine drum until it ignites into a huge discount fire.

    Then when you buy with your best discount, rip out all carpet, all pad, spray a bleach water mix on all hard surfaces, use Killz to prime coat the floor, and re carpet.

    Killz is the only product that really works 100% of the time for animal urine.

    2Reply
  • Shanequa J.
    Realtor · Houston, TX · Member since 2011 · 916 posts · 296 votes
    15y
    Originally posted by James Hamling:
    OMG, I LOVE the smell of cat urine in the morning........ it smeels like money!!!!!

    LOL. Funny! :D

    1Reply
  • Chris Martin
    Investor · Willow Spring, NC · Member since 2009 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    15y

    As an REO, a bank generally will not perform any repairs. See if there is an "As Is, Where Is" statement on the lisitng. Just discount your offer price....

    0Reply
  • Martin Meyer
    Foreclosure Specialist · Hamilton, OH · Member since 2011 · 1 post · 0 votes
    14y

    Demand a discount for the repairs necessary to remove the odor. Do not expect the owner or bank to fix the odor. The best you will get is a coverup that you will have to remove and fix the odor yourself.

    Sealing in odors still does NOT work no matter what the people at LOWE'S and Home Depot tell you, IT DOES NOT WORK LONG TERM.

    0Reply
  • Mark UpdegraffBusiness Member
    Real Estate Broker · Rochester, NY · Member since 2010 · 1k+ posts · 706 votes
    14y

    Martin Meyer what is your 'fix'? Why not share with everyone ;-)

    Thanks!
    Mark

    Podcast Guest on Show #112
    Updegraff Group Realty4.746 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    0Reply
  • Steve Babiak
    Real Estate Investor · Audubon, PA · Member since 2009 · 13k+ posts · 8k+ votes
    14y
    Originally posted by Mark Updegraff:
    Martin Meyer what is your 'fix'? Why not share with everyone ;-)

    Thanks!
    Mark

    Mark,

    "I've Got a Secret" too - Mr. Meyer's secret is a product that he sells from his website, and the product name is his user handle here on BP. So as not to shill for him, I'll let you extract that info on your own. The product he sells is one that some members of my area REIA do say works.

    0Reply
  • James H.
    Investor · Fort Worth, TX · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 450 votes
    14y

    I'll share the fix with everyone for free. Before I do I will qualify my answer with a statement of experience: Once upon a time in my life I worked as a subcontract carpet cleaner and pretty much all of my work was for apartments with occasional 4 plex and duplex type properties.

    What you do is strip the carpet and pad and throw away. Then you spray the concrete slab with an enzyme that eats the urine out of the pores. You do this with the same kind of pump sprayer you might use to spray weed poison or pesticides - about 10-20 bucks at home depot. It could take a couple applications over a week or so if it is bad, but we always did one application. I don't remember what the enzyme is called because its been years, but you can call any commercial carpet cleaning supply warehouse and they will know right way. Just tell them you are looking for "pet treatment" products. They may have new products nowadays, but the enzyme is what you need.

    I will make this disclaimer. I know this was how we treated concrete slabs cut cannot remember ever doing it on a wood subfloor, but I think it is the same, though.

    0Reply
  • Stinson Bland
    Wholesaler · Dallas, TX · Member since 2011 · 294 posts · 152 votes
    14y

    @James Hamling LMAO... that is the first thing I learned during my HomeVestors training. MMMMmmmm, the smell of money!

    0Reply
  • Tod R.
    Investor · Southlake, TX · Member since 2009 · 950 posts · 338 votes
    14y

    I agree with ripping the carpet/pad out. We've had good luck with OdoBan.

    0Reply
  • Rusty Thompson
    Real Estate Investor · Salem, OR · Member since 2011 · 422 posts · 149 votes
    14y

    I agree that Cat urine =$$$

    :-)

    0Reply
  • Chris Martin
    Investor · Willow Spring, NC · Member since 2009 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    14y

    I agree with Brian. On concrete slab... after cleaning, let dry and seal with a concrete sealer. On bad properties, I do two coats. Also, it is wise to take up all the existing tack strip since it is a wood product that absorbs moisture and can potentially cause problems if not removed. In the worst case I've seen, we took up the baseboards and cut the lower ~1 inch of drywall (with drywall saw), cleaned and Kilzed the base boards front and back, and reinstalled. No issues or complaints....

    1Reply
  • James H.
    Investor · Fort Worth, TX · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 450 votes
    14y

    When I was looking for my first (personal) house, we came across this house that was in a great neighborhood for a great price. The problem was the previous owner was disabled and the ENTIRE carpet was saturated with urine (not sure what kind..) from wall to wall. It was hard to breath in there. My wife cringed,but I was like "that's okay baby, we can work around that" hahaha! We hesitated to make an offer for other reasons and the next day when I told my realtor to make an offer she came back and said the house had already sold cash (it was for 75K). What I wouldn't give to find a deal like that one again.

    0Reply
  • Corbin Blackwell
    Real Estate Investor · El Paso, TX · Member since 2012 · 2 posts · 0 votes
    14y

    I just finished rehabbing a property that had cat urine stains throughout the concrete slab. I searched the internet for a remedy and found a formula that worked for me that was very simple. I don't remember the exact measurements but it simply consisted of baking soda, dish soap, and water. Mix them together and generously mop it onto the concrete. I only needed one application and it cost less than $10 plus time.

    0Reply
  • Account Closed
    Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2008 · 244 posts · 36 votes
    14y

    a good bleaching and Oil base primer to seal. If the smell is too deep you may have to replace the infected area(s)

    0Reply
Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.
Log InJoin for Free