Must. Love. Dogs.
...But maybe not when potential purchasers are looking to buy your house. Are you a dog person? Or a cat person? Whatever your pet of choice may be, I bet they sure are cute and loveable. However, if you are considering selling your home and want top dollar for it, you might want to reconsider having them around once open houses start to occur.
Why don't home buyers like your pet? Let’s just say…
They have an odour - Whether you can smell it or not, people not accustom to the smell of Fluffy will know you have a fur baby living in your residence right away. The smell of cookies and making new memories should be wafting in the air…instead, it’s wet dog smell. Ekkkk! Some people might also be allergic. This might be enough to have them walk out right away before they even walk through the door.
Scaredy-cats - Pets can make people very uncomfortable. Not everybody grew up with a pet and some might even have bad experiences with them. Just because yours is little and cute, doesn’t mean he doesn’t look like a death eating machine to someone else.
What should you do if you find yourself in this situation?
First, please don’t shoot the messenger, but the best thing to do to ensure top price for your home is to relocate your pets while your home is on the market. Ekkk. I said it. Are you still there? Good, keep reading.
Why putting them in the backyard or spare room doesn’t work – The fear factor still is there, it is also a reminder that a furry creature has been running around and slobbering on the carpet of the future homeowners, where their precious baby should be crawling.
Instead of leaving them behind, ship them off on a staycation for a while. Having them stay with a relative, friends or kennel will give your Realtor a better chance of getting you your target price, instead of a buyer who uses your pet to as a negative in negotiating a deal to their advantage.
While Fluffy is away, make sure you tidy up.
Stains
Try to remove all stains from carpeting, if you cannot, hiring professionals to remove the stains will save you in the long run. Buyers will spot them and form unfavourable opinions about the rest of the house. If the stains can't be removed, then remove the floor covering and replace it.
Pet odours
Cat urine is the worst. Without question. The. Worst. Bring in a neighbour to do a whiff test. Dog odour gets into carpeting and pet beds, too. Do not use air fresheners. People with allergies will react. Try enzyme cleaners such as Simple Solution, Nature's Miracle or call a professional ozone company.
Cat urine is the worst. Without question. The. Worst. Bring in a neighbour to do a whiff test. Dog odour gets into carpeting and pet beds, too. Do not use air fresheners. People with allergies will react. Try enzyme cleaners such as Simple Solution, Nature's Miracle or call a professional ozone company.
Paraphernalia
Removing signs that you have a pet is simply smart practice. 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 cats (you know who you are). Remove photos of pets from refrigerator, walls and table tops. Removing signs that you have a pet is simply smart practice. Put away food and water bowls when not in use.
Why turn off a buyer at the get-go? It's those first impressions that are so important. Just remember, that removing your pet will help the sale of your home move more quickly, in turn giving you more time to play with your pet after the contracts are signed and accepted.
