I am a bigtime dog lover.
I have two hairy golden retrievers who are doing some serious wear and tear on my home. They eaven ATE the molding in my kitchen.
It begs the question- how much does a dog, cat, bird...cost in hard cold real estate depreciation?
Not only do they add to the dirt and dust factor, they tend to have an odor- that once a home is placed up for sale may be detrimental to the bottom line.
Why am I writing about this?
I am going to put my home on the market this Spring. And with 2 dogs and a cat, I don't want to be in DENIAL about it.
Potential buyers might not like your pets as much as you do. (ouch did I say that outloud?)
Here are some suggestions if you are considering selling a pet occupied home:
- Choose boundaries for your pets in the home, don't give them free reign ( a few comfy rooms to destroy)
- Have your home professionally cleaned while on the market (weekly)
- Keep cat boxes EMPTY and fresh
- Don't mask odors- get RID of them
- Ask a trusted friend to TELL YOU THE TRUTH about whether or not you have pet odors, and where.
- Have pets regularly groomed, brushed and bathed.
- REMOVE the pets during showings if you have any question about their behaviors
- Include a carpet cleaning as a given part of your exit plan
Here are some pictures of my well loved pets!
SUNNY
TOBY (and Colin)
CALLIE
So, just a friendly reminder that Pets are GREAT... But they do have their issues that come along with them.
Especially when a home is for sale, use extra caution and care so it doesn't co$t you too much on the bottom line!
BethAnn Long ~ Spokane Realtor- Coldwell Banker Tomlinson South Inc.
509-362-4607
...there's no place like your home!
It is advice best given by one pet lover to another. If you don't have pets, I think your sellers won't believe your advice and just write it off to someone who doesn't get the love the seller has for his/her pets, but you are so right!
LISE: I am talking to myself here, so hopefully I won't offend anyone!
BethAnn - Pet odor is one of the pitfalls of having pets in the house. I have a very sensitive nose and I can smell pet odor immediately when I walk in a home. I have a pet and once in a while I smell something. My husband can't smell anything. Come spring, I have to get rid of my living room rug.
Pets are great! I love mine. But, I have shown some homes where the odors have cost the sale. I think your tips are good ones and I will save them for sellers in the future.
Rosalinda, yep- thats my point.
Sandy: thanks!
BethAnn ~ As a home stager, I'm always giving my seller clients tips on how to show your home when pets are living there. I'm a dog lover too so I understand they're part of the family ... so your advice is spot on. I hate to see dogs or cats just left to roam around the house when buyers might come at any time .. it isn't fair to the pets or to the potential buyers.
I am a pet lover too. I hate going into doggy or kitty smelling properties...
Happy FOO YEAR!!!
nothing like spiked coffee at 0300 eh???
Although you can minimize odor and other negative signs that your home is a pet home, in all likelihood, the buyer will also have pets. Unless there is visible damage or obvious poor housekeeping, I think the presence of pets just focuses the scope of potential buyers and will not significantly affect selling price. If the home has pet-friendly amenities, like a large fenced yard, it will attract buyers who have pets.
If you really want to sell your house quickly, you could send me your two wonderful Goldens. You're on your own with the cat, my wife has allergies. Great pics!
Hey Beth Ann, You're pets look wonderful. My 9 year old Bernese Mountain Dog thinks he's a Golden, and will turn into instant puppy when ever we meet a Golden.
I couldn't agree with you more. Last summer I spent much time & agonizing with a seller of mine who had rented out her "No Pets" house to a family who brought in a kitten and a puppy against the owner's wishes. Needless to say, two young pets learning to be "potty trained" doesn't do great things for a brand new carpet.
We had the carpets cleaned professionally, and still the odor in the house was very strong. We continued to clean the carpets with every pet odour product we could find.
Bad pet odours can cost sellers so much more than the cost of cleaning or replacing carpets, if the property has to sit on the market longer than necessary while waiting for a buyer willing to accept it.
Maureen: thanks for stopping by. I love that name!
Micheal- you are funny :)
Great point Mike- many pet owners will be attracted to pet friendly homes! I have a HUGE fenced area behind me already fenced back yard, it is dog-heaven.And I have to KEEP THE DOGS or my kids will kill me!
Bernice, the damage from pets can be very minimal, or can be VERY costly. I know of several homes that the owner after renting them out usually had to even replace the floorboards UNDER the carpet from pet odor.
PEW
BethAnn, Good advice from one dog lover to another. As much as I love dogs, I also find it distracting when the dogs are in the house during showings. It distracts from the house when the potential buyers are busy petting your dog and not looking at the property. Best to take them for a short walk or crate them for a few minutes.
I hope that doesn't sound awful, but I showed property this week and my buyer was on the floor playing with the seller's dog.
Elyse, oh brother!
Animals are GREAT but they need to be secondary when a home is for sale- just my thought.
BethAnn,
We've all had those hard to sell due to pet odor listings before. It's really great to see and article about pet odors written from your perspective as both a Realtor and a home seller.
I wonder how many homes I've shown that had pets but I didn't even know them about because the sellers followed your suggestions?
We just got a dog and she has brought our family much joy. We just have to clean a little more. She's definitely worth it!
Thank Rich!
They are worth it... but you have to stay on top of it, or they can destory a house!
I am currently working with a client who has severe allergies. I have to call ahead before every showing to see if there is or has been a cat in the house. Cat = No sale!
Ellie, I had one like that too. It was a kid who broke out in a HORRIBLE RASH and found out while house hunting he was allergic!
When I have had my homes for sale, I make sure to shove the litter boxes under the beds. Even though they are clean, some people have their own perception of the house if they know cats are present. I also only show my homes by appt. Never seems to impact the showings. That way I can tidy up, load the dogs into the car and go for a drive. As soon as the door bell rings, the cats scatter to hide, so walking into my house you would never know animals live there too!
Good ideas Terry, a litter box would HAVE to be clean to shove it under the bed!