What Can You Do About Pet Odors When You're Selling Your Home? A Few Quick Tips

We've worked with a few sellers this past year who have house pets. Now as a proud pet owners of 2 cats and 2 dogs, we certainly understand that pets are part of the family and most times they can't move out during the time a house is on the market.

However, Smell is the FIRST thing people notice when they enter a home and many buyers may be turned away by pet smells. We once worked with someone who was so sensitive to pet smells that one time we went into a very clean, vacant condo with freshly cleaned carpets and she had to leave due to the pet smell - which I didn't notice by the way. She wasn't used to living with pets though, which makes a big difference.

So, how do you keep from losing buyers over pet odors? 

1. Don't Take Offense: First you have to realize that if you have pets, there are odors that some buyers will pick up. That doesn't necessarily mean that your home isn't clean or that your pets aren't clean. Don't take offense. It's just simply something you have to be aware of when selling your home.

2. Extra Clean: The main thing you can do is to keep your home as clean as possible. Keep the pet hair vacuumed up, the litter box cleaned, and the yard picked up. This takes some time but will help you sell your home more quickly. You may also want to consider having your carpets professionally cleaned.

3. Bring in the Fresh Air: before a showing or Open House, do your best to let in some fresh air from outside. Fresh air is the best thing for pet odors. If possible, take the pets with you when you leave, put the pets outside, or in another part of the house until the showing is completed. Also, pick up food bowls, pet beds, bags of food, etc.

4. Avoid Air Fresheners for the most part. They don't usually hide the smell and you'll end up with floral scented pet odors! Fresh baked cookies in the kitchen are good alternative. If you really feel the need for an air freshener, mix a few drops of a Citrus Essential Oil (Lemon, Lime, Orange) with cup of water. Essential Oils can be found at many health-food or grocery stores. You can spray a small amount of this in the air prior to showings.

These tips will help you sell you entice more buyers so you can sell your home faster - which helps your bottom line.

 
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13 Comments on What Can You Do About Pet Odors When You're Selling Your Home? A Few Quick Tips

Good tips. We have all had to deal with pet odors from time to time. Especially #4, to me nothing says I am trying to cover something up like a foo-foo air freshener.

01/24/2008 09:31 AM by Jim Houlihan (Coldwell Banker)


Another tip is put vanilla on the lights before you turn them on.  It makes the whole house smell great.

01/24/2008 09:31 AM by Matthew Zgonc, REALTOR® for Modesto, CA (ERA Village One Real Estate)


Matthew - thanks for the tip. I've heard that before but have never actually tried it. I'll give it a shot in my house first.

Jim - you're absolutely right. Buyers wonder what you're trying to cover up.

01/24/2008 09:34 AM by Kevin & Monica Ray, Missoula, Superior & Western Montana Real Estate Specialists (Streamside Realty )


Kevin & Monica, I hate when people try to disguise an oder with those "fresheners" I'm glad you brought that up!  Baking Soda on even old oders can help them dissapear.

01/24/2008 12:36 PM by Carole Provenzale Owner, Feng Shui Long Island & New York (Feng Shui Long Island & New York City)


Hi Carole - good point about the baking soda. This does wonders for carpet, just sprinkle baking soda on your carpets and let it set for 30 minutes before vacuuming.

01/24/2008 12:42 PM by Kevin & Monica Ray, Missoula, Superior & Western Montana Real Estate Specialists (Streamside Realty )


good tips, it usually makes things worse when people try to cover the pet smell.

01/24/2008 12:54 PM by Joey Remondino Broker, GRI, E-Pro (StoneHouse Realty Inc)


Great subject but sometimes the problem gots so much deeper. Nervous or young pets have urinated all the way through the floor boards. Any suggestions?

02/16/2008 11:48 PM by Dionne Morgan REALTOR®,GRI, e-PRO (Realty World Solano Realty)


Hi Dionne - my husband and I also manage rentals so we've had this happen as well. I think the best thing you can do is replace the flooring. Once it reaches the floorboards, you should also have a professional installer. Ours treated the floorboards with a bleach solution. They then painted the floorboards with a Kilz type of paint and let it dry prior to installing the new flooring. This worked in our rental.

02/17/2008 08:27 AM by Kevin & Monica Ray, Missoula, Superior & Western Montana Real Estate Specialists (Streamside Realty )


Thanks for the response. During a listing appointment a prospective Seller had the windows open, this was in the winter. My sense a smell finally kick into gear. It was a case of a little dog that loved to urinate at the front door when ever a stranger rung the bell.

02/22/2008 10:03 PM by Dionne Morgan REALTOR®,GRI, e-PRO (Realty World Solano Realty)


I say the best thing to do is put the pets in day care. It is so hard selling a home with pets!

06/08/2008 09:25 PM by Cathleen O'Hannigan, Cary NC Realtor (Fonville Morisey)


Good points!  It is a difficult subject and petowners don't want to hear about smells. 

06/11/2008 04:56 PM by Leslie Stewart – Realtor ®, CRS, eCertified (Prudential Real Estate Professionals)


Personally, i love the smell of fresh paint!  It's like the new car smell to me.  But then, I had a painting and decorating business for 6 years.  Many would disagree with me.  on the other hand, fresh, neutral paint is  the biggest bang for your buck as far as preparing to sell your home.

06/16/2008 06:47 AM by Susan McQuaide (Keller Williams)


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Real Estate Agent: Kevin & Monica Ray, Missoula, Superior & Western Montana Real Estate Specialists (Streamside Realty )
Kevin & Monica Ray, Missoula, Superior & Western Montana Real Estate Specialists
Missoula, MT
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