When it comes to selling your home with pets though, remember that:
- Not everybody likes pets in the house;
- Some people will outright avoid houses with pets;
- Not everybody wants to see, smell or hear your pets
Unfathomable, but it's true. Some humans just don't like our fur babies... So what do we do?
Here are our best tips for Selling a Home with Pets
Litterboxes
Everyone’s favorite part of owning a kitty cat. When it comes to selling though, it must be clean. Always. No evidence. Ever.
Just like real estate, litterboxes are about location, location, location. Try your best to hide it away as best you can. Of course, do this long before showings begin so that your cat can get used to it and doesn’t rebel. Poo in the corner where the litter box once was is way more gross than the litter box being there. If Sylvester isn’t used to a litter box with a lid, don’t introduce it now. Most kitties don't want to be inside of a "cave" when doing their thing. Instead opt for more natural solutions to litter box odors and clean it out thoroughly every couple of days. Soap, water, fresh litter.
Fur
Unless you’ve got a hairless cat or a non-shedding dog, you’re going to have fur in the house. We need you, as the Seller, to keep it as fur-free as you can. It’s never good when potential Buyers get distracted by furballs or allergy sufferers have to cut the showing short. We have even seen both Agents and Buyers so afraid of our bundles of fur they don't make it past the front door. It's a sad, but true, reality.
Smells
Ever wonder how some people can live in that house that reeks of wet dog? Here’s the thing: they probably don’t even know it. Humans have a thing called ‘sensory adaption’ (aka: nose blind) which means that bad smells we are around every day eventually become ‘normal’ to us and aren’t recognized by our noses anymore.
So don’t trust your own nose. Before listing your house for sale:
- Steam clean carpets and upholstery
- Move everything, we mean everything, and thoroughly sweep and mop the floors
- If your fur baby has a history of accidents on a particular area rug, get rid of the rug
- Feed dry food instead of canned (the smell lingers longer than you know)
- Clean, sterilize, launder all soft plush toys
- Put away the dog and cat beds, blankets and other soft areas they like to snooze (or at least Febreze them) daily and launder them a couple of times per week
- Those dual action plug in air fresheners actually work amazing! Pro-tip: go for very light scents. Buyer’s will always question heavy air fresheners
All The Pets Things
Like kids, pets come with a lot of stuff: toys, balls, water dishes and bowls, treats, food canisters, scratching posts, leashes…. Put. It. All. Away.
In The Yard
This is important: not only should you clean up all the poop in your yard before every showing, you should also do it before you move out. As someone who once was greeted with giant poop scattered throughout her new backyard, trust me, a clean yard will be appreciated. Also, karma.
Runners
While agents will do their best to make sure they don’t let out your cat or dog out during a showing or open house, if you’ve got a runner, consider crating or boarding your pets. Keep in mind that strangers entering your home may also frighten your pets, so even if they aren’t runners, they may choose to bolt instead of dealing with unwanted company.
Barkers, Biters, and Scratchers
There’s nothing less welcoming than entering a home to maniacal barking. Pets can be unpredictable, and every experienced agent has been scratched by a cat, jumped on by an excited dog or bitten by something at some point. While it will make your home memorable, it probably won’t make people want to buy it.
If you’ve got a dog, arrange for someone to walk it during each and every showing.
To Board or Not to Board?
In an ideal world, your home is pet-free during showings. If you don’t have a friend or family willing to lend a hand, there are some great boarders out there that will make your dog or cat think they are vacationing at a resort.
If you can’t begin to imagine being without your pet while your home is listed for sale, then follow our tips and be prepared to take on a little extra work.
Need help deciding what to do you with your pets while your home is for sale with the Paul Lamba team? We can help.