We all adore the furry members of our families. These are my two babies, Rosco and Panther. I am sure you can guess who is who. The dog is Panther. Just kidding. The point is, that no matter how much we love these little cutie pies, not everyone does. I know. Shocking. How can Rosco's one-ear-up confused facial expression not melt your heart? I have no idea.
When selling your home, keep in mind that not everyone finds pets (and their corresponding odors) endearing. Some buyers looking at homes may have been attacked by a dog as a child and be petrified of Bootsy who is locked in the kitchen by an -albeit flimsy - baby gate. This can significantly lower your chances of selling your home because these people may not linger around long enough to imagine themselves living there - let alone make it into the kitchen to notice your new granite counter tops.
Here are some tips to make your home friendly to any buyer who may walk through the door:
When you decide to put your home on the market, have the carpets professionally cleaned. Better yet, replace them. This will eliminate any off-putting stains, and most importantly, pet odors. I know you don't smell anything. I don't notice pet odor when I walk into my house either. But I am told that it is there and my nose is just used to it. Yours is, too. Clean the carpets.
When you leave your home (and you should leave) during an open house, take Fido with you. You don't know how he acts when you are away. There are strangers in his house - his territory - and you aren't there to let him know that is ok. He may growl. Worse yet, he may bark. Nonstop. Even if you lock him in the backyard. Yes, even if you lock him in the garage. Then buyers that come into your home can't think straight because all they hear is a barking dog. And all they end up associating your home with is yipping. Furthermore, an unsuspecting buyer or agent may accidentally let your dog or cat our the door, and that would be the worst tragedy I can think of: losing your beloved pet. You also don't want to risk the liability issue that would arise should your dog or cat bite a buyer, buyer's child, or agent. It has happened before to sellers who thought their dog was the sweetest dog in the world, but had never seen their reaction to kids.
Clean up the little "surprises" in your backyard. The last thing a buyer wants to do is dodge your dog's landmines when wandering your yard and trying to decide where to put their kids' swingset. Keep your backyard completely spotless of these presents. Clean it everyday so that if you get an unexpected showing, you don't have to scramble around to pick up the yard. You can grab the dog and leave (yes, you should leave during showings, too).
If you leave the litter box when you have a showing or open house, leave it out of sight and clean. No buyer is going too look to favorably on your home if they look in the bathroom and see your cat's dirty litter box. Better yet, take it and Garfield with you when you go.
Clean up pet toys and place them neatly out of sight. You don't want a buyer spraining their ankle in your house after slipping on a catnip filled cheetah mouse (Panther's favorite toy).
Follow these easy steps, and your house should be appealing to even the most pet-adverse buyer.
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