5 Helpful Tips in Home Selling For Pet Owners

Every seller wants their home to sell quickly and for top dollar. But it takes some planning, organizing and preparing to present your property in the best way possible. When listing a home for sale, we need to keep in mind that most buyers are not only looking for shelter but a place to call Home, to fall in love with and make their own. Often this means freshening up the paint, decluttering and even making minor repairs. The goal is to create a pleasing environment, engage the buyers and establish a positive emotional connection. 

But, with all these things considered, how do you begin to sell your home if you have pets?

How does that impact the selling process? Working with many pet owners, this question comes up every time. One big goal, when selling your home, is to make it appealing to the widest possible audience. Sellers routinely spruce up their homes and sometimes go as far as professional staging. Whatever you decide, selling a home with pets deserves special consideration and extra effort to make it attractive to the greatest range of potential buyers.

If you’re planning to sell your home and want to make it the most saleable it can be and also as stress-free as possible for all the members of your family, including the furry ones, then here are a few easy and helpful tips to follow.

ELIMINATE THE PET ODOUR!

Nothing turns off a buyer faster than opening the door and being greeted by the smell of a wet dog or a full kitty litter. Having lived with your dog or cat for some time, you might be used to the smells and not think much of them, but buyers will spot them and might form unfavorable opinions about the rest of the house. Don’t be a victim of bad first impressions!

We do not recommend covering up the smell with air fresheners, but rather tackle the issue at its core. Covering up the smell just isn’t as effective.

If you have carpets, consider steam cleaning them before showings begin. Get a quality fabric deodorizer with special formulations designed to break down pet odors, spray it on soft surfaces like couches, curtains, etc. Throw any blankets, linens, or washable slipcovers into the washing machine to clean off any possible pet odors.

While it doesn’t seem like a big deal, smell DOES matter – make this tip count!

DEEP CLEAN EVERYTHING!

You never know who might be allergic to fur or pet dander. If an allergic buyer walks into your home, he or she may be too busy fighting symptoms to fall in love with your property! With that in mind, it's always a wise first move to invest in deep cleaning.

You’re going to have to deep clean your house anyways before showings, but there are some special considerations you might want to take if you have pets.

Pets who shed will leave air intake vents around your home full of fur. It's a good idea to invest in a carpet cleaner, or have your carpets cleaned professionally to ensure there are no obvious pet stains. Plus, pet odors can radiate throughout the house. A carpet cleaner will help remove those odors and embedded fur.

Clean your windows of any paw or snout prints, dust your baseboards free of fur, give your floors a good mop, and repair any damaged areas if necessary. For example, claw marks on a corner from a cat.

CLEAN UP THE YARD! 

This is another one of those things you’ll need to do regardless of whether or not you have pets. 

However, if you have pets, this is a very important tip. Your backyard can also leave traces of your pet, so it’s important to clean up any waste and toys. 

Take some time to do a quick sweep of your yard to ensure there are no potential accidents waiting.

ELIMINATE THE EVIDENCE!

Treat your home as if pets do not live there when you’re selling– that’s how it should look.

If you’re anything like the thousands of other pet parents out there, you probably have a handful of pictures of your pet around your home. You’d be surprised at how much potential buyers pay attention to pictures during a showing. These pictures will be a dead giveaway of your pet ownership, so it’s best not to display them while showing your home.

If you have a cat, hide the litter box and clean it well daily and ensure it’s not near an entry point in your home if possible.

Tuck away any pet toys, especially half chewed ones. You’ll also want to hide the cat trees, cages, pet beds, bowls, and whatever else your pet uses.

The last thing you don’t want to happen is buyers to be distracted by pet items rather than focusing on your home!

PUT YOUR BUYER HAT ON!

The most important tip in successfully selling your home is reminding yourself of this very important fact: someone else is buying it. 

This means that despite your own personal feelings about your home and it’s furry/ scaly/ feathered dwellers, these feelings do not matter to the strangers viewing your home. When selling your home, it must be appealing to a wide variety of people. Your home must also be ready for showings at almost any time of day.

Ask yourself: if a stranger was walking into my house right now – how would my pets react? If possible, it’s best to leave your pet with a friend, a relative, or another trusted caretaker while showing your home. If no one is available, consider putting your pet in a crate in an area where potential buyers are less likely to be—either a basement or mudroom. Put a blanket, bowl of water, and favorite toy in the crate to help your pet feel more comfortable.

BOTTOMLINE

Remember That Not Everyone Is A Pet Lover. It’s hard to believe, I know, but not everyone is crazy about dogs or cats as much as you are. Whether it’s allergies or bad past experiences, some people are not comfortable around pets even if they’re very friendly and well behaved. As the goal is to make your home available for viewing to as many buyers as possible, make an effort to keep the pets out of the way. 

Your pets may not understand that you're selling your home, but you know they'd want you to succeed. With these tips, you'll minimize the chance that they'll have any unintended effects on your plans. 

Happy Selling! Hopefully, you’ll now have a better idea of what to expect when you need to sell your house if you have pets! There’s no reason for your animal to hinder your selling process. Use these tips to ensure that you can still enjoy your pet, and make a deal all at the same time!

Selling a house with pets is a little extra work – but totally worth it! Have questions? Let us help!