4 Home Selling Tips for Pet Owners

In some houses, pets are considered members of the family. But then again, four-legged family friend members can bring about several challenges when it comes to household needs.

Our team has searched across the country (on the internet) with the sole aim of finding out the main things pet owners should bear in mind when trying to sell their houses.

Limit the impact

Animals have a tendency to leave a mark; however, by minimizing their impact, you’ll be able to make a good impression towards any potential buyer. Your pets should be removed from the house during showings with buyers. If you have a dog, try to hide it when buyers pay a visit. Cats should also be removed is possible. Any other petting equipment such as cages should be covered. The idea here is to limit the impact that the pet would have on a person who is not receptive to pets.

For those of you with exotic pets such as arachnids, reptiles or rodents, you’ll want to consider removing them completely from the property during showing; simply because they may scare off customers… literally.

Clean up

There’s nothing that screams “bad investment” louder than an unpleasant smell. If you’ve scheduled a meeting with the potential client, make sure you have enough time to clean up after your pet. This may be a small challenge as the animals tend to take care of their business in funny places such as under the couch… or even in the bedroom.

Be prepared by stashing away pet toys, food dishes and scratching posts during showings with clients. Doing so will help you get the interest of potential buyers.

If some stains or marks are left on the walls by your pet, then you should consider repainting. Vacum the place and use aromas to give the pace a more appealing scent. Also make sure to clean any aquariums, cages or trashcans.

Freshen up the smell

This is another aspect that cannot be stressed enough. As I mentioned earlier, the smell is part of the experience of viewing a house. Folks who are not used to pets like dogs or cats will definitely detect the funny smell of a pet quicker than a person who is used to the smell.

A litter box is one of the most harmful smells- as it can be a total turnoff to customers. When your house is up for sale, try as much as possible to get rid of any stuff that poses a bad impression, e.g. litterboxes or trashcans.

“There’s just something about a special scent — you’re not always totally aware it’s there, but when you walk into a room that has a certain smell, you’re immediately hit with a memory of a time or place.” said one of our participants.

“All buyers use their noses when shopping for a home.”

Planning is everything

Another important step to take is developing a plan for showings which will ensure that your house is always at its beast when buyers pay a visit. Have a list of the items you want to put away as well as the necessarily things you’ll have to clean.

Follow these simple recommendations and make those all those tiring meetings count.