I'm thinking of buying a house for £160,000 (mid terrace 3 storey, plus large cellars) with a view to doing it up over the next year or so. I live elsewhere so I won't need it for much more than storage for 6 months.
It's about 60k below market value for a comparable property in reasonable condition. It's been maintained externally, but the inside is poor. Only a sink in the kitchen, basic internal bathroom. Central heating of dubious provenance, but newly rewired. Internal walls look fine with very little blown plaster but quite dirty and unpapered, ceilings look poor/artexed. All carpets and curtains have been stripped and it's been unoccupied for at least 3 months.
The thing is the smell. It's not so much damp, as what I would imagine to be between rank socks and something rotting. I really don't want to think about the cause, but the windows have been left open permanently and someone's scattered air fresheners all around the place. The smell remains.
I'm not an especially fussy sort of person, but even I wouldn't put up with it. If I bought it I have factored in the cost of sanding all floors, decorating, skimming or replacing ceilings, stripping doors, replacing or stripping skirting boards and taking out chimney breasts at the back of the house. Would this do it, or can this type of thing need something more drastic?
Thanks, Rob