[krichter67]

A musky odor in my empty house that I am attempting to sell. I just put this house up for sale 1 1/2 months ago. Realtors have only showed it 3 times and each time someone comes in they say it smells like a dead animal. I have an excellent nose, in fact people at the hospital where I used to work would ask me to come and smell something believe it or not. I have had a hard time getting things done in this house due to my husband being sick with cancer and bad heart disease. So end of 2013 had new carpet put in and I started painting here and there and then hired someone to help paint. When they started showing the house the people coming in said it had an odor. All I could smell was a musky odor. My daughter and son said they could not smell anything. When the real estate lady came out initially she did not smell anything. The house has not sold, so I thought I would spruce up the kitchen. Man came out today who does measuring for this company that I purchased the carpet from. When he walk in he smelt something and said it was the carpet and probably the padding. He said sometimes they use recycled padding. He doesn't think it's a dead animal, he said I know what that smells like. He has been doing measuring for this company and others for years. I attempted to call this company and they said they would call the manufacturer and get back to me possibly Friday. Is there someone in the meantime I could call to find out what this is. Should I call and inspector. This company, I purchased the carpet and pad from said its been 2 years. No one has been in the house with the exception of painter and me. Help, I can't afford anything that will cost me a lot of money with a sick husband. I have never sued anyone in my whole life. I am at a loss. Karen

[joypulv]

Your house is suffering from lack of air circulation, from not enough people going in and out and from windows being open at times. Every smell is magnified.

Sure, cheap carpet and padding can smell, but 2 years would be unusual, unless pet urine had soaked into the subfloor earlier, or there is mold or mildew coming up from the basement.
I know as a pet owner that pets leave smells even when they aren't 'going' in the house, so I put sachets of real lavender around, and bars of scented soap.
I bought my house over 3 years ago, but I can still smell that an elderly person spent a lot of time in a back bedroom I don't use.

There's no need to spend a lot of money. Find the most natural and mild scented spray product you can, open the place, and do some extra cleaning.
A powder on the carpet, allowed to sit a day and then vacuum, might be good.
If you have a damp basement, that's another story!
And if there is a dead mouse, it's changing smell as it dessicates.
Smell from mouse urine/feces has a different smell, and it doesn't always smell until you move a stove or the open corners, etc.