Ding-Dong......grrrrrr, with teeth. Great, another cute "Killer" at the door.
Dogs can create a lot of havoc when you are trying to sell a property. Here are some great tips that should help the agent and the homeowner partner up to get Fido out of the way when potential buyers are seeking their quiet place of serenity.
Removing the dog and evidence of:
- Is there a relative or friend that could doggy-sit while the home is on the market, or at least during showings?
- Take the dog for a walk or bring the dog with you when buyers are viewing the property.
- If the dog has to be on the property, have the dog either kenneled up or fenced off. (And not in the living room!) Even the sweetest dogs may become territorial. For the safety of everyone and the dog, never have any dog roam free.
- A "BEWARE OF DOG" sign may keep people from getting out of the car altogether. If the dog is that aggressive, you absolutely should remove the dog from the property during showings, and please take down the signs.
- Keep bowls, dog beds, and half-eaten dog toys out of sight.
- Repair any mangled trim around windows and doors. Any damage that any animal has caused needs to be repaired before potential buyers arrive. It's a good reason to lower their offer.
- If you have a "barker" on your hands, this will only distract a buyer. Removing the dog from the property is your best way to have buyers relax and enjoy the home.
Pet care is a must during the time you're on the market:
- Avoid bad smells! Washing your dog often will help with smells in the house.
- Landmines (poop) in the yard - The last thing you want is a potential buyer to step in something that they shouldn't have (...and then track it back into the house before they realize what's happened).
- Brushing the dog everyday will help reduce the dog hair floating from room to room.
- Stick rollers will help remove animal hair from furniture.
- Homes with pets need to be vacuumed, swept, and dusted twice as often as homes without.
- If you can't eliminate an odor, eliminate the source. That sofa that Rover calls a bed may need to go... and not to the garage. Remove it from the property.
- Even if you don't smell an odor, someone else might. People get very use to the smells in their homes. Have someone who is not acquainted with the home do the sniff test.
- Have your carpets professionally cleaned.
It's not my dog, it's the neighbors'!:
- Sadly, buyers have walked away from homes because of a neighbor's dog. Barking, aggressiveness, and smells have all been reason why a buyer has not signed the bottom line. Talk to your neighbor first to see if something can be done to improve the situation.
- Make sure that a proper fence is in place between you and the other yard.
- Understanding the pet laws in your area may help your circumstances.
Helping you get your home SOLD,
Angela Voss
Designology Home Staging
Spokane WA
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