Home Selling & Pets
By Mark & Annmarie Lenson
People Like Us…….People Trust Us
Put Our Experience On Your Side……..We Sold Almost 800 Homes
Both authors were brought up with pets....we love them dearly and we presently have a pet for our own children. As so many other families would agree, pets are as much a part of the family as any family members. Okay, in some instances more so. We have a sense of humor.
Not to insult any homeowner with a pet, many a Realtor will tread very lightly when it comes time to explain how pets do or do not fit into home showings. Sometimes it takes a third disinterested party to tell you like it is. So here it is.....other than for the occasional home that does have a smell free, stain free home with a pet..... pets and selling homes do not mix.
Dogs and cats scare the heck out of the buyers, or they make the home smell. There it was said. Many people are allergic to animals, and there is nothing like going into a house and being met by a barking, and possibly biting, dog. That would not be considered a good first impression.
You may think, "But my cat only sleeps on the back of the couch all day and will not bother anyone." Yet the buyer may enter your home sneezing his/her head off as they wipe their watering eyes. Are there fleas?
How many buyers can you lose that STOP at the front door and do not go any further into your house for the buyer is frightened of cats or dogs?
There is nothing like getting your first impression of a home when a buyer enters a home to hear Bruno ravenously barking and charging at you (you know, the one that never bites) to either make you into his lunch or lick you to death. Generally speaking, this is not a good first impression for most buyers, let alone how unnerving it is for the Realtor.
You can't sell with a smell. Sure your pet is well-mannered.....all pets are.
That is what everyone tells me as the dog charges with a soaking wet nose jamming it into your crotch. If the house smells, (and they often do), you really need to do something about it. Keeping pets off carpets and from rubbing against furniture helps.
Put them where, if they have an accident, it will not stain or hold a smell in the carpet. The marking of territory is an obvious one. Any pet smell needs to be minimized.
What do you do if you have pets? There are several things you can do. Ideally, get and keep the pet out of the house. Bring it to a friend's home, a neighbor's. Do you have a family member living nearby? How about outside living for the pet with sufficient shade, water, and shelter? How about putting a pet in a bathroom with a closed door when you go out? (Put a sign on the door indicating not to open it due to the pet being inside.)
And for the smell in the house that many homeowners do not smell..........PetSmart has a good product for getting smells out of carpets. Febreze is also a consideration. Washing walls, draperies, and floors is a consideration. How about bathing the pets this week? Or maybe twice this week?
How about vacuuming the carpet every few days with a deodorizer? You can find them in the cleaning supplies section of the grocery store. Maybe even treat your home to a professional carpet cleaning.
When was the last time the cat box was cleaned? Pet toys hold smells as well. Put them away. Far away.
To get maximum dollars, your house must show and smell in a non-offensive manner, especially when it comes to the first impression. People need to be looking at the WOW factor your home presents, not the bow-wow or meow factor. Statistically, the homeowner buying your home will be pet-free. And that is how your home needs to present itself.
