Sniffle, Sniffle, Sneeze....Does Your Listing Repel Buyers?

How often do you think about the potential impact of Fido the dog or Whiskers the kitten?

As a real estate professional, we are in and out of houses every day with pets of all kinds.  On a regular basis,  6 out of 10 people in the United States come in contact with cats or dogs every day.  Currently, the pet population is more than 100 million, or about four pets for every 10 people. 

Yet, allergies to pets with fur or feathers are common, especially among people who have other allergies or asthma. Between 15% to 30% of people with allergies have allergic reactions to cats and dogs.

When was the last time you managed your real estate listing or open house to also consider people with allergies?

People with dog allergies may be allergic to all dogs or to only some breeds. Cat allergies are about twice as common as dog allergies.

An an animal lover, I'm not advocating that households cut back on their pet adoption, but awareness is an important first step.  As awareness grows of the increasing population with allergies, more and more Realtors will be attentive to their listings being compromised by  homeowners not sufficiently cleaning and aerating a home prior to the showing.

Here are several suggestions from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: 

• Because animal allergens are sticky, you must remove the animal's favorite furniture, remove wall-to-wall carpet and scrub the walls and woodwork. Keep surfaces throughout the home clean and uncluttered. Bare floors and walls are best.
• If you must have carpet, select ones with a low pile and steam clean them frequently. Better yet, use throw rugs that can be washed in hot water.
• Wear a dust mask to vacuum. Vacuum cleaners stir up allergens that have settled on carpet and make allergies worse. Use a vacuum with a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter if possible.
• Forced-air heating and air-conditioning can spread allergens through the house. Cover bedroom vents with dense filtering material like cheesecloth.
• Adding an air cleaner with a HEPA filter to central heating and air conditioning can help remove pet allergens from the air. The air cleaner should be used at least four hours per day. Another type of air cleaner that has an electrostatic filter will remove particles the size of animal allergens from the air. No air cleaner or filter will remove allergens stuck to surfaces, though. (See the Asthma and Allergy Answer factsheet on, "Air Filters.")
• Washing the pet every week may reduce airborne allergens, but is of questionable value in reducing a person's symptoms.
• Have someone without a pet allergy brush the pet outside to remove dander as well as clean the litter box or cage.

Michael Hobbs, PahRoo Appraisal & Consultancy