Hi :) , we've lived in our house six months now, and over the past few weeks, we've noticed a strange smell. The house is about 70 years old, carpets are about a year old, kitchen is all new, bathrooms fairly new. Some of the walls are anaglypta, and although they feel a little spongy underneath, they don't smell of damp or anything.
We've checked the drains outside, and there's no problem there, same goes for the chimney.
The smell is sort of a rotting cabbage smell, not like waste or drains really, more of a decay smell. :(
Sometimes it's very weak and other times very strong, so strong it makes me heave :( , and sometimes it's not there at all. It comes and goes all the time.
It's only been in one room upstairs, it seems to start at the top of the stairs, and get stronger as you go down. It's particularly strong at the bottom of the stairs, next to the electricity cupboard, although we've had this checked and there seems to be no problem. :confused:
The strength of the smell varies all throughout the house, for example it can be really strong in the lounge, then weaker in the living room, then very strong in the kitchen again.
I've noticed the smells heavier in certain spaces, like near the electricity cupboard as I said.
The only thing that seems to get rid of it is if we burn Joss sticks and light lots of strong candles, as well as open all the windows. Room sprays just mask it, and we have to do something to get rid of it, as it's unpleasant for us as well as any visitors we have round.

Apparently an old lady lived in the house a few years before us, and we have had some fairly strange "supernatural" expiriences, such as weird scratches that can't be explained, and sometimes, my eyes water and I can't stop sneezing (I don't have allergies though :confused: )

I'd like to try and find a different explanation to the smell before I go down the paranormal route.

Any idea's as to what it might be? :(


Thanks.

You mentioned your electric box a few times so I am left wondering if it could be the source. Do you feel comfortable with removing the panel door and cover?

Yeah, I'm okay with that. Do you think it's something to do with the box?

Probably an animal in the wall by the wires. Rat, mouse, opossum, etc. Evict the animal, then use ozone air treatment to get rid of the odor.

Pest control company would be the first step. They can find out if there is a dead animal in your walls and remove it.

I would agree with the other posts. It's not supernatural, it's more likely one of two problems:
A small deceased animal near the electrical cupboard. And / or previous water damage. (old rot with mold build-up). The sneezing and watering eyes are possibly symptoms of mold - I have experienced the SAME reaction. (I don't have allergies either.)
It's your body's way of trying of telling you that something is toxic and you need to stay away from it. If there is a small bird or rodent that is decaying inside, the rot will smell foul. If there was ever any water present behind the wall (not recently - but many years ago) that was not properly ventilated / erradicated, mold spores could be multiplying. Keep in mind that every building has mold. We breathe mold in and out all the time - inside / outside everywhere. (tiny tiny particles.) It's the amount of it (parts per million), that can become a problem. If you're in a contained area, with a lot of spores growing, then it is hazardous to be breathing it in.

My husband and I have just purchased our first home too. Our home is probably 70 or 80years old, and I have noticed a weird smell in around the kitchen towards the stairs that lead to the basement. I am certain that there is something behind the walls that I can't see or get at, but I hope to uncover the problem eventually. Fortunately, our house smell is not incredibly concentrated, and with the windows open it is nearly impossible to detect.

Hope that you can soon find the source and eliminate it easily / painlessly - so that you can enjoy homeownership.

I actually had this same problem and I can almost bet it is a small animal (rat, squirrel, oppossum, something like that) has gotten into your walls and died. Have you put out any poison or had a pest control company to treat your home? We had a small rat get in between the floor and the cabinet space and it nearly drove me crazy, so I know what you are going through! I agree with Moose... I would get someone out to look for the problem a.s.p!