As the housing market heats up, many homeowners are considering what can make their home sell as quickly as possible, for as much as possible. As pet owners, we have an additional hoop to jump through in readying our homes for the selling process – finding a way to ensure our pets are safe, comfortable and not a hindrance to the perusing buyers during showings. So, what are a few quick tips to ensure your pet friendly home is ready for buyers?
Tip #1 If you don’t have a separate dog run or fenced off part of the yard for your dog, consider kenneling your dog for the showing or if possible, taking them with you while buyers are looking at the home. No matter how friendly your baby Fido is with you, there are still strangers coming in and out of your home, which can be very stressful and unsettling for your dogs, creating the potential for a fear based reaction from them. Kenneling or putting your dogs in a dog run for showings also allows buyers the freedom to walk around your home without worrying about loose pets. Same rule applies to cats. Some cats run and hide from strangers coming into the home anyway, however if they are temporarily in a kennel then you won’t worry about them getting out of the home. This should provide you some relief knowing a buyer or agent won’t accidentally let your fur-babies out of the house or worse.
Tip #2 Provide your agent/the company that schedules the showings with instructions regarding your pets. It’s always helpful to know if there are pets in a house, even if they are kenneled, so that we know what to expect when showing buyers. Some people are fearful of or allergic to pets, so if we are able to give buyers a heads up about pets in the home, it will make for a better experience. Additionally, if you are unable to kennel a kitty for showings, please note in the showing instructions whether or not the cat must stay inside or may go out.
Tip #4 If you’ve got cat litter boxes inside the home, try to scoop before showings. The last thing you want buyers walking into is a stinky house, which can be an immediate turn off for some buyers. So, try to scoop as often as you can, especially if you are getting a lot of showings.
Tip #5 Steam clean your carpets and make sure your air filters are clean before listing your home for sale. Buyers that have pet allergy sensitivities will immediately notice pet odors and dander upon walking into a home, and this could very well be a reason for them to pass on your home. The fresher and cleaner your home presents, the better.
Although this is not an exhaustive list, these are certainly some important things you can do as a pet-owning seller to present your home in the best way possible.
Happy selling!