Smoker House Renovation - Ideas - Advice

In the end, the broker himself is a smoker and says he didn’t notice it because of that; he ventilated because of the animals.

Even if after a long legal dispute a court were to partially agree with you, you have already created too many facts through your renovation.

No expert can determine the disputed condition anymore; a reversal of the purchase is no longer an option anyway and not in your interest since much has already been changed; the opposing party no longer has any influence on the scope and execution of the renovation because everything has already been done.

>>> So our problem and ignorance that caused it.

I don’t understand what you are getting at. Cause of the stench: the smoker in the house Problem: yours, because it is your house. Cause of your problem: yes, probably ignorance, naivety and the like when buying the house. None of us is judging you just because we say it out loud. A real estate agent has a role, a position in the house sale, which they secure with their terms and conditions. But the role should already be familiar by now, since the profession is not that new. Then there is the role of the seller and the role of the buyer, so you. Each of you has your task. The seller is not allowed to cover up defects. If windows are open, that is not covering up, and he probably cannot be held responsible for the presence of dog smell either. Your task would have been to bring an expert and/or friends on the second visit, to take a closer look and maybe question what constantly tilted-open windows could mean. If none of that happens, one could have googled a checklist for buying a house. A second viewing is basically the X-ray of the house with as many eyes as possible. In the end, one can only say: bad luck. Nobody wants to do you any harm here. But it is understandable if you want to blame someone else for it.

But understandable

also understandable given the price paid for the house and the high follow-up costs.

If I could turn back time by one year, I would also change and clarify some formulations in our house construction contract regarding additional services. But it's too late now, we have to live with the follow-up costs.

Self-inflicted. You bring an expert into the house. And smoker's house (?) there you would also see visually yellow walls, etc.

A proper ozone treatment kills all odors. How was it done at your place? Powerful devices are needed for that and it takes several days. Some of what you describe does not read like old smoke but other issues. As [HilfeHilfe] wrote, there would also be other indications...