Got a call the other day from a potential client concerning ozone treatments. He was considering putting an offer in on a million dollar home in the east end of Toronto.  He loved the layout, size and location. The home was well maintained. The deterrent to offer was the cooking odour that caused him to cringe as he entered the home. The odour lingered through the rooms as he walked through the home. I answered all his questions about the process. His final question was;

“Would you guarantee 100% that the odour would be eliminated?”

 We know remediation companies that do only this kind of work, who would not give 100% guarantee that odour would be eliminated. We know homes where extensive ozone shock treatments were performed however the building materials had been saturated with bodily fluids, cooking and smoke odours. As fresh as the first few weeks were after the treatment, the odours returned. They could only be fully eliminated when the affected building materials were thoroughly cleaned or replaced.

I asked if the home had multiple offers and if he was considering entering a bidding war.  He laughed and answered with frustration and sarcasm;

“Is there any other kind of offer on the market today?  I lost the bids on six homes prior to this one in the last few months. I waived all conditions including inspections.”

He really liked this home but the pungent cooking odour was so offensive to him. I asked how long the owner had lived there. He told me they were the original owners for 30 + years. I sadly informed him that those odours have most likely saturated some of the building materials in that home and if he were to bid and win, waiving an inspection, he would be fully responsible for the cost of cleaning the air and eliminating the odours.  In all probability he would not be able to go back to the realtor or seller for any compensation.

Iron View Inspections recommended he have a Pre-offer inspection. We would be able to identify if any carpets and draperies needed to be cleaned or removed all together. We would suggest he ask that walls and cabinets were cleaned with liquid ozone as well ask for the ducts to be professionally cleaned as part of the bid. Only then would the ozone shock guarantee the best possible outcome.

Ozone treatments kill bacteria, viruses and some moulds that linger in the air not the ones embedded in layers of dust in ventilation systems or organic or synthetic materials that have been saturated with the odours over a long period of time. Ozone shock will kill plants and small pests as well. However, if the source of the odour is not eliminated first, it may creep back into the air you breathe and smell.

A Pre-offer or Pre-Listing Inspection on any properties, especially in this current market, is a benefit to the buyer and the seller. Either of theses inspections from Iron View Inspections would give a better idea of what they are dealing with prior to an offer. A Pre-Listing Inspection would help the seller make their home much more marketable as well.

~Be As Informed As You Can Be~