In our part of the world, we can burn brush piles in our yard. This is convenient since we can put fallen branches and end of the season garden stuff in the pile or fall leaves, light it on fire and then enjoy the ambiance of the crackling fire. Since yesterday was not a high wind day here in the plains, I decided it would be a good day to burn the "burn pile." Sure enough, when it was burning real good, the phone rang and I had to leave to go help a friend. So I left Diane in charge and took off. This morning, I went back to the backyard to see the results of my latest burn off. It wasn't something I really needed to do, but whenever I've burned my burn pile, the inner primordial cave man in me wants to go see it the next morning. 
Sure enough, the burn pile had been burned to ash and some leftover unfinished burned logs. And there was some new stuff that Diane had already pulled from the garden. Satisfied, I went to walk over to check out a Crepe Myrtle I had planted. I hadn't taken but a few steps when I felt something under my shoe that was soft and kind of hard and smooshy all at the same time. I instantly knew what it was. I had stepped in a backyard doggie bomb! Yep, one of Diane's four dogs had left their deposit in our backyard (as they tend to do!) and I had successfully made a connection with it! Yummy!
I am extremely pleased that I nor any of my buyers have ever stepped on a dogs' backyard bomb while looking at houses. Can you imagine what would happen if a buyer did? I don't care if they're the biggest dog lover in the world...that showing would be either completely over or cut short quickly. And what would you do in that situation? Grab a twig and try to scrape off the mess for the client? Hide your face so they don't see you laughing? Gasp in horror? None are good options...not when you're trying to show the house to the prospective buyer!
One thing I've learned from the world of Real Estate is that we Americans love our pets! I encounter dogs almost everytime I show houses. If they're inside the house, I've found them locked in the kitchen (which we are supposed to see somehow), locked in kennels, locked in the garage and locked up in the bathroom. And you know what that means, right? During the showing, it almost always sounds and sometimes smells like you're in a dog kennel. Whenever the dog or dog is outside, you or your buyers are gonna get jumped on or the dog is going to run into the house. Then you've got a problem. You don't want to abandon your buyers but you can't let the dog run free inside the house either. What if they drop a doggy bomb in there? Then you're going to have clean it up inside the house while humoring the poor buyer somehow! Talk about awkward!
Please understand that I love dogs. I own four of them thanks to Diane. But dogs and selling houses are a tough combination. I think I have some solutions for selling your house in a down market if you own a dog or dogs...
First, borrow or buy a dog run while the house is on the market. Then, if at all possible, make sure the dog(s) is/are in the run during showings. This will not only keep your dog or dogs safe, it will also prevent them from jumping on that person you're hoping will buy your house! And that is a good thing! I realize this might be difficult if you're at work, but going to extra measures to ensure the safety of your pets and good house showings is extra important when the market is so tough!
Secondly, do a doggy bomb walk around your yard and remove those little buggers. Throw them away or put them on the burn pile or in the compost pile (can you do that?). Clearing the yard so that there are no doggie bomb mishaps is in your best interest if you're trying to sell a house. And why is that? Because I have yet to meet a person who successfully connected with doggie bombs and was real happy about it. If it were to happen at your house, I'm pretty sure the buyer would remember the house forever, but not in a good way! Of course, stepping in dog poop won't necessarily keep someone who loves your house from buying it, but it certainly doesn't leave a favorable impression...or smell!
If you're a dog lover and owner and you're selling your house, please do yourself, Rover and the rest of us a favor. Keep your pets safe, borrow a dog run, do your backyard bomb due diligence and price your house right too! And then we'll all enjoy successful showings and maybe even a successful closing!
Originally Posted at: My Owasso Home
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