6 Tips to Sell a Home with Pets
Even though your dog or cat may be part of the family, having a pet can lower the price of your home. Pets tend to mark a house and this will come into play when the buyer is ready to make an offer.
Getting your house in the best possible shape before you put it on the market can help you get the best possible price for your house. That starts with deep cleaning and repairs.
You should talk to your Realtor to get individual advice for your situation, but here are a few ideas.
1) Remove odors and stains
Smell is often the first thing that buyers notice when they enter a house. Make sure this first impression is a good one and that buyers never notice any unpleasant odors. Bad smells can stick in the mind long after everything else is forgotten, and covering the smells with a scented candle can make things even worse. The solution is to have a professional clean any carpets and furniture and replace anything that can’t be fully cleaned. Strong smells like urine will tend to really leave a negative impression in the mind of a buyer. This is the last thing you want!
2) Make repairs
Anything the pet has damaged should be repaired before you put your house on the market. This includes replacing any chewed or scratched items and patching any worn or dead spots in the lawn. You want your house to look as close to new as possible.
3) Relocate your pet if possible
If you and your pet can handle being separated (and in consultation with your vet), consider asking a friend or family member to keep your pet while you prepare and sell your home. Not only will this keep your pet from creating any more messes or damage, but it will allow you more flexibility when it comes to showing your house.
4) Show your house with no pets
If relocating your pet isn’t an option, look into ways to have your pet stay with a friend, family member or pet sitter when your house is being shown. It’s better if buyers never have any reason to ask questions or worry about problems from past pets in the house. If you can’t get the pet out of the house, you should consider containing them so that buyers can walk around the rest of the home freely and without interruption.
5) Clean up the yard
Make sure there is no pet waste in your yard. You should also replace any pet-damaged plants and fencing.
6) Erase all signs
Store all the food, toys, litter boxes and bedding for your pet somewhere invisible to buyers. This might mean removing them from the home all together or putting them inside a storage container. Some Realtors recommend removing any photographs containing your pet to further reduce the chance of buyers asking about pets.
If you do all these things and still have a buyer ask about your pets, there is little you can do but answer honestly. But if you do everything possible to make the house as good as it was before your pet arrived, it will certainly make your house more appealing to buyers.
