I’m sharing six tips for how to sell and show your home when you own a pet.
Selling and showing your home when you own pets can be a challenge. Today we’re going to talk about what you can do to minimize a pet’s presence for buyers. So, I brought in my dog Churchill to join us for this discussion! I’m a huge pet fan. I love animals—they’re like family to me. However, it can be challenging to go through the moving process with pets. So today, I have a few things to share that might be helpful to you when thinking of showing your home when you have a pet.
1. Deep clean to eliminate odors. Steam clean the carpet and wash all fabrics, including the couches and pet beds. Cleanse all the areas the pet touches so you get a fresh scent. Some people are hypersensitive to these odors, so you need to be careful. Stay on top of the cleaning, too. Some animals shed, some produce furballs. There may be fragments of toys, so keep the house neat so that buyers see you are keeping up with the maintenance of your home.
2. Pooper-scoop the yard. Scoop the yard and clean litter boxes. People don’t need to step in that when they walk through the yard or smell it in the house.
3. Bathe your pets regularly. Once a week should help but bathe them more if required.
“I brought in my dog Churchill to join us!”
4. Remove pets during showings. If possible, remove your pets during showings. If you cannot remove them, take steps to put them in a place where they’ll be calm, comfortable, and not make much noise. The last thing you want is a disruptive pet that doesn’t allow buyers to enjoy your house. They’re visualizing a future in your home, and you want them to be relaxed.
5. Seek an honest opinion. Have a family member or friend that doesn’t live with you come over and evaluate your home. Do they smell pet odors? Is there anything they notice that you need to take care of? Have them look for things you may not have thought about.
6. Repair any pet damage. I often go into homes where I see that pets have chewed up molding, couches, and flooring. Have these issues fixed before buyers see them. You love your pets, but buyers don’t want to deal with your pets’ problems. Also, put away pet gear like toys and beds.
I hope this gave you some great ideas of what you can do in your home. The more you pay attention to these things, the quicker your home will sell, and the sooner you’ll be on your way to whatever the next step is. We would love to hear from you with any real estate needs you have or ideas for future blog topics. Call or email us!
