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Is Your Best Friend Hurting The Sale Of Your Home?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Keller Williams Realty

Is your pet hurting the sale of your home?For many of us in Jackson , Mississippi , our beloved best friends are inside pets. We may be okay with that. But, for many potential homebuyers, it may be a huge turn off. One of the biggest reasons potential buyers are turned off is the inconvenience of the pets when viewing the property.

Many sellers have to be called first before anyone can come to view the property so they can clean up any mess and put the pets away. And, many buyers automatically think this is a less appealing home. In today's market, you don't want anything prohibiting a showing of your home. Buyers will be very quick to move along and not give your home a second thought, no matter how great the home is.

The smell and mess a pet can make is another reason buyers are turned off. There are a lot of non-pet owners out there, and many will be looking at your home. The first thing that comes to mind for non-pet owners and even some pet owners is will they be able to get the smell of your pet out of the home.

Here are some things to ask yourself before you put your home on the market.

~ Does your home smell like your pet? Many of us who own pets can't smell our pets like others can. It's kind of like someone who smokes. Non-smokers can smell it from a mile away, while the actual smoker can't smell it. Big dogs tend to have bad smells. Litter boxes are another bad odor that is very offensive to many. Also, some exotic pets have very offensive odors.

~ Are there stains on your carpet? If you have an indoor pet, then there is usually a stain somewhere on your carpet. It will do you good to hire a professional carpet cleaner to remove all the stains or just replace the carpet. If you choose to change the carpet, don't forget to change the pad underneath. Many homeowners try to save money by leaving the pad. The pad is what actually holds the pets odor. It's very inexpensive to replace, so just do it. You'll thank yourself later for it.

~ Will your pets be in the home when buyers come to view it? If at all possible, ask a friend or realitive to pet sit for you while your home is on the market. No one likes to see cats climbing all over anything, dogs trying to jump on them, or birds screeching in the other room. Here's one of the biggest turn off's I've ever faced. I went in to view a home one day that had a dog. There was a note on the door to let us know there was a dog inside. I went in anyway, only to discover there were training pads all over the house that the dog had used several times. The mess was also on the carpet. And to top it off, the dog was full grown. So, you can easily see how this situation will be a deal breaker for many.

Taking some simple steps to get the pet out of the home and get the odor out as well will go a long way in a home sale.

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