It's not a clean habit. Then there's the cost of cleaning the home. Carpets, draperies and furniture, all of which can reek of smoke, may have to be cleaned, or even replaced, more often. That can run several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars a year. The lingering smell of stale cigarette smoke can ultimately impact the resale of a home or car.
Cigarette smoke is akin to any strange odors, like pets.
Va. Helfant says smoky homes may take a little longer to sell, partly because owners need to spend more time getting them ready. She says she bought a home from heavy smokers several years ago and had to replace all the carpeting and repaint every room. Easterling Motors Inc. in Victoria, Texas, buys and sells mostly smoke-free used cars and goes out of its way to advertise that fact. Nonsmokers' cars are generally better cared for. And smoking can be dangerous.