First of
all you might be wondering, “Exactly what is third hand smoke?” We’ve all heard
of second hand smoke but this new term was coined by a research team at
Dana-Farver / Harvard Cancer Center. It is what remains long after the smoke
has cleared. It is the odor and residue of the smoke that is left behind in clothing, furniture, our hair, everywhere! Believe it or not, simply touching
this residue can put you at risk of suffering from many of the same illnesses
as smokers themselves.
If this
isn’t enough reason for smokers to NOT smoke in their homes, here’s another
point to ponder. A recent survey of real estate agents in Ontario, Canada
revealed that smoking in the home can lower its value by as much as 29%. That’s
an amazing statistic and something to
consider if you or a family member do smoke indoors. This means that an average
residence (at least in Ontario) could lose as much as $64,000 off its sale
price! Here are some other interesting statistics to think about.
- · 44% of agents and brokers agree that smoking definitely lowers its value.
- · 88% of brokers state that it is more difficult to sell a home if the previous owners smoked inside of it.
- · 27% of brokers have experienced situations where the buyer simply refused to purchase any home that was previously owned by smokers.
A final
thought is the amount of time and effort required to remove all of this third
hand smoke from a residence. This monumental task would involve steam cleaning
all carpets in the home, wiping down all of the walls with hot water and
detergents and then repainting them up to 3 times as well as wiping down all
flat surfaces that were exposed to the smoke. This is to say nothing of
clothing, furniture with fabric, windows and mirrors, painting, pictures……. As
you can see, smoking can actually damage your home and cause a tremendous
amount of dangerous chemicals to saturate into various items. The bottom line?
Aside from being dangerous to your health, allowing anyone to smoke within the confines of your home can cost you
thousands.
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