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The Idiots Guide to Pet Friendly Home Staging

OK, I may not be a Home Stager, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

As a pet owner, I can claim to know the basics: Remove pet odors (or try) remove pet hair (the best you can) remove obvious traces of pets (bowls, toys, beds) and pick up the land mines in the front, side, back yards (and heaven forbid on the kitchen floor).

But I need to know more, and from the Professionals.

What are your secrets? Are there any special products out there that work better than others to remove odors? Cleaning products for floors? Or "Emergency" tips - how to clean up traces of pets in case of a short notice showing?

What REALLY works to help stage a pet friendly home - and keep it staged until it sells? And what are your biggest challenges when dealing with pet owners?

In this market, I think sellers have to be ready at a moments notice to show their property if they want it sold. And for pet owners that could be tricky. I would love to know your tips and tricks on how you work with pet owners during their pet friendly moving experience.

Posted by Molly of The Pet Realty Network on 08/03/2007 02:30 PM

Comments (14)

pet friendly home staging, pet odors

14 Comments on The Idiots Guide to Pet Friendly Home Staging

AUG

2007

Good question, Molly. I know that I do not like to show homes when the owner is gone and there is a dog in the house. I've not encountered an odor problem with dogs, but I always have a concern about the animal getting out. But what are you going to do, when everyone is at work? You cope, but it does detract from giving your full attention to the buyers.

Molly - I always remove the pets too! I know this isn't always possible but I don't want any prospective buyers of my home to want to leave as soon as they spy my two large dogs in the back garden. They are golden retrievers so they wouldn't hurt a soul but they would sure pester anyone for some attention - and then leave them covered in long blond hair. Fortunately my house is viewed by appointment only so I always get notice to clean up any sign of dogs and get them out of the house. Not so easy if you have a lockbox.

Stephanie

Febreeze actually has dome a pretty good job for me in killing odors. I don't notice them in my house (we have a dog), but I do when I have been out enough doing other stuff.

I took clients to a $500k house in town, and the house positively reeked of dog. The listing agent wanted me to call her seller and tell him, because he didn't think there was any smell. And it DID take my buyers out of the running for that house. They couldn't bear to look around. This was just a general dog smell, not a urine smell or anything.

What I notice is that some people may not think their house smells, but to the outsider OH BOY DOES IT EVER! I guess if you live with it, you get used to it??

First of all, I love your post...very creative! Now, down to biz:

Some people are more sensitive to dog smells than others. If the MUST keep the dog bed around, spray it daily with Febreze and slide it under the bed for showings. Keep a lint brush handy, and brush the dog daily.

NEVER leave your dog at home during a showing. Not only are many people fearful, but what if the dog got out, or got scared? Even if its a sweet poochie (like in your pic) it will distract buyers from viewing the home.

For short-notice showings...keep water, bowl, leash and a blinket in the car so you can get away quickly without having to grab anything.

Molly, What a wonderful post. Checking out your site was so much fun. You, my dear, are carving out a much needed niche! Yea for you. Now to your question. I see on your site you are developing a list of pet sitters. That is the very best idea for working pet owners when it comes to staging. Or even when it comes to simply being able to show the home at a minutes notice. We recently went though a list with a client concerning his cat. The smell was BAD. Here are our recommendations for what to do with pets when you are trying to sell your house and no one is home during certain parts of the day:

Ask a family member or friend to pet sit.
Take the pets to work with you when that is an option.
Place the pet in day care.

These are what we consider the BEST options.

Our other options are:

Come home and take the pet out when called at work.
Ask a friend or neighbor to remove them when necessary

The options we least prefer:

Place them in their kennels.
Leave them in a closed room with a warning through the listing agent.

Worst option:

Do nothing with them and hope all the home buyers and real estate professionals looking at your house are pet lovers too. And buy really good insurance.

Molly, I may get shot for this but I am often in people's homes that have pets. It's not the pets themselves often that have odors, it's food that is left out or an uncleaned litter box. And the OUTSIDE when they haven't picked up after their dogs. I am allergic to most smells and odors and Fabrize has an "odor" to me...they have all natural things to remove odors now without covering them up and they work. I don't know what the statistics are for pet owners vs. non pet owners but I'm willing to bet there are many more owners then not. A well behaved animal shouldn't bother most people (just my opinion).

Hi Molly, as a previous home seller, I take my dogs bye bye while the house is being shown. My cats hide under the beds. I shove all litter boxes under the bed and use Simple Solution for those pesky "accidents". I also use a fabric freshener, not Febreeze because I don't like the smell, but the el cheapo linen scent I get at Family Dollar. I once viewed a home for sale and in one of the bedrooms there was a huge pile of dog poop in the middle of the floor. That didn't turn me off, but it would most buyers. And there is nothing worse than the smell of dog permeating a house. I can see why buyers would run out!

AUG

2007

Most of my clients have their dogs in a large kennel in utility room for showings if they live close. Or closed off kitchen area, which is sometimes hard for clients to actually look over the kitchen area well. There are also animal daycare which works for some. With dogs it is always the fear of them getting out.

Molly, a great subject! I always look for ways to remove the odors instead of covering them up, because the resulting smell is sometimes even worst than the original one ;-) For example, a product that gives good results removing general pet odors from carpets is Pet Fresh, from the baking soda guys. Now if the pet had an accident on the carpet, or other floor, then a solution with enzymes such as Simple Solution, as suggested above, would work better. I find that it is much easier to deal with a pet in the house if they are crate trained. At the time of a showing they can be kept in their crates . Even if they are very nice good dogs, some people are bothered whey they come to them for attention, so it's better to have them confined. Of course the ideal would be to take them to another home or place, but that option is often not possible.

Hey there Molly. Great topic! In homes with pets, I often use my black light for any urine stains and most always ask that they get the carpets cleaned. There was a time when I turned down a Staging job because the Sellers didn't want to replace a "cat peed" carpet. The worst....... why would I want my soft items to pick up that horrid smell.. yuck! For someone that does not have pets in the house, they can pick up on the pet smell right away especially if there is lots of soft scape. I ask them to wash all toys and bedding too. I have a suggestion for during the week when the seller is at work and can't take the animal for an Open or Tour, depending on the back yard... they can have the animal on a side yard that opens into a garage. Then from the inside to the garage, have a baby gate up so that the animal can't get in and the people can't walk through the garage. Put a sign up on the door or slider to the backyard stating the rules/position of the animal. Basically this pertains to dogs, but have had clients keep the cat out. Then put a cute sign up on the door to the garage explaining the gate. Buyers understand that you are still living in the house and most do have animals. It just makes it so important to be able to show the home in the best light especially for an Open House and the Brokers Tour, in that case, dogs for sure need to go to doggie day care :)

what air purifier system do you guys think works best ??? I have heard of Realtors investing in a good one to remove odors from listings...

Molly- thanks for the mailings..

AUG

2007

Thanks for all of your great feedback!

Yvonne: We have just launched the complete pet friendly moving experience, and we have a great list of pet sitters (as well as boarding/kennels and veterinarians) that will be joining us. I agree with you, this makes the most sense when needing to remove the pet from the home when showing. And it gives the pet some great socialization time and exercise. I'm excited to be able to provide all of these resources to pet owners in one place.

Michele: I would love to hear feedback on the air purifier question, too. I think you have to splurge on a good one for it to really make a difference.

For a quick (and cheap fix):

This is on the top of my favorites list. Really cuts any smells, and isn't perfumy. http://www.citrusmagic.com/

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