Selling Your Home with Pets in it!
Selling Your Home with Pets in it!
Almost everybody loves pets except the home buyer who is buying your
house. Home sellers who adore their pets have a hard time imagining the
negative attitudes others harbor against pets. So, while this might be
a bitter pill to swallow, if you want to get top dollar for your house, pay
attention to how much you might lose with a dog or cat in residence.
Why Don’t Home Buyers Like Your Pet?
Nervousness. Pets make some people very uncomfortable. Not
everybody grew up with a family pet the friendship or close
relationship with a pet.
Fear. Real and irrational. It’s not only dogs that instill fear in
people. They may be the friendliest pets when you’re with them
but when they meet a stranger, they may react differently
towards them. All kinds of tales and superstitions involve cats.
Inexperience. Pets are not always predictable.
Your pets aren’t their pets. They imagine yours bite, jump,
vomit, claw, spit-up hairballs or are just plain hyper and bad.
What is the Preferred Pet Solution? – I know, I know you may not like it.
You’re not going to like this but I’ll say it anyway, fully realizing that
this very excellent piece of advice is likely to fall on deaf ears. The best
thing to do to ensure top price for your home is to relocate your pets
while your home is on the market. Putting them in the back yard, in
the garage or in another room that you keep locked is insufficient,
and it’s not fair to them. You need to remove them from the house.
Let a friend or relative care for Buffy or Coco.
Board them at your vet or a kennel.
Send them on vacation to visit your parents.
Overcoming Negatives Associated with Your Pets
If you shrug off all professional advice and absolutely refuse to
move your pets out of the house, then at least minimize the
objections and nuisance factors, real or otherwise:
Cat Litter Boxes & Dog Potty Pads
Keep them out of sight and impeccably clean. Nothing turns off
buyers faster than opening the door to the laundry room and
being greeted by a full or stinky cat box. You may not be able to
smell the odor but new buyers that have not pets certainly will.
Carpet & Floor Pet Stains
Hire professionals to remove the stains. Buyers will spot them
and form unfavorable opinions about the rest of the house. If
the stains can’t be removed, then remove the floor covering
and replace it.
Pet Odors and Smells
1. Cat urine is the worst. Without question. The Worst. Bring in a neighbor
to do a whiff test. Ask a friend to be honest with you.
2. Do not use air fresheners. People with allergies will react.
3. Try enzyme cleaners such as professional carpet cleaners use (Simple
Solution, Nature’s Miracle) or call a professional company and they will
advise you what to use.
Remove Signs of a Pet
You may be required by state law to disclose that pets have lived in
your home, but you don’t need to advertise that pets live at your
house. Removing signs that you have a pet is simply smart practice.
Why turn off a buyer at the get-go? It’s those first impressions that
are so all-fired important. And you may not get a second one.
Do not put photos online showing your cat or dog asleep on the bed
Seal up doggie doors
Put away food and water bowls when not in use
Vacuum religiously, every day, sometimes twice a day
Pick up pet toys and put them away
Pack up cat trees and other signs of cat paraphernalia
Remove photos of pets from refrigerator, walls and table tops
Pack up all cages, carriers and other tell-tale signs
Showing Your House
Put your pets into a carrier and attach a note warning buyers not
to disturb them. The last thing you need is somebody sticking their
hand inside the carrier and getting bit or scratched. You can’t
predict how your pet will react when locked up and alone. Let
your listing agent make notation in the MLS that there are pets
in the home.
Agents sometimes forget to close the door and your precious
pet may run outside and they may not be able to catch it. So, think
of all these things before you LIST your home! I hope that you
will get the BEST PRICE for your home and relocate your precious
pets to their new home.
Selling Your Home with Pets!
posted by World Class Real Estate Broker at 3:39 PM
0 comments
