So you’ve decided to put your home on the market. Well this is a very exciting/scary/fun/tough thing to do. The last thing you want to think about is if your dog or cat could affect the sale of your home!
Well, it could. There are several things to take into consideration when selling your home as a pet owner. The buyer could be allergic to your pet, could be afraid of dogs, could think it smells (even if it doesn’t!) – who knows what the buyer has in mind! Here are some simple suggestions/tips to help speed the sale of your home and prevent obstacles even before they occur.
Showings
When a showing is scheduled for your home, ensure that the dog/pet is not in home or any exterior area that a potential buyer would walk through. While we think our pets are the funnest/cutest/sweetest animals in the whole world, the buyer might not. We don’t want the buyer to be scared away by the pet. Also, make sure that any ‘messes’ in the back yard are cleaned up. Usually buyers won’t walk around the entire perimeter of the property on the first visit, but just in case they do, you want to make sure that they don’t take anything home on the soles of their shoes!
Allergens
A pet is a member of the family, so not allowing them in the house would be unthinkable! Even if your selling… but the last thing you want is for a potential buyer to have an allergic reaction to your home. That’s a sure fire way to prevent them from buying it. Remedies: The Asthma and Allergy Foundation suggests washing your pet every week, covering air vents with a filtering material so allergens aren’t spread throughout the house, brush the pet outside and before it comes in the home, and clean regularly. Another trick I’ve learned is to use a lint brush to remove pet hair from furniture. All of these tips could help remove any doubt from a potential buyer’s mind.
Smell
Whether there is a pet smell in your house or not, you don’t want a buyer to wonder… Place litter boxes and cages in an inconspicuous place, preferably hidden from eye sight. You don’t want the buyer to know where little Snowball has been relieving herself. If your pet has a special place it sleeps, make sure to clean it and keep it hidden during the daytime when potential buyers could arrive. Finally, when all else fails, invest in Ozium or some other type of air freshener to remove odors. All in all, you want your home to either not have a smell at all, or smell clean, so as not to trigger any kind of allergy.
Hopefully your home sells quickly, but if not, some of these tips could help move it along!
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