Selling a home can be tough. Selling a home where pets live can be even tougher. Although many people consider their pets to be family members, when it comes time to sell a home, they can be a roadblock to making a sale. But, by following these simple guidelines, you can bypass any difficulty and sell your home with no problem.
Selling A Home Where Pets Live
Reasons Selling a Home Where Pets Live is Hard
Because you love your pet, it is easy to be blind to reasons why having one might make it hard to sell your home. Pets can make other people nervous and uncomfortable. Not everyone is a “pet person” and knows how to act around them. Some people may have either a real or irrational fear of pets. People who have had bad experiences with other people’s pets in the past or believe old wives tales about them can easily react poorly in their presence. Pets are not always predictable, which can add to people’s apprehensions. Lastly, people love their own pets, but simply may not be amenable to pets of other people.
Minimize the Nuisances That Accompany Pets
As an honest pet owner, you must admit that there are aspects of your pet that are not perfect and that other people may not want to experience. When you show your home, make sure litter boxes and potty pads are out of sight and free of odors. Get your carpets and floors professional cleaned if they have pet stains on them. If you cannot remove the stains, get new floor coverings. Get rid of any pet odors that are lingering in the air. Chances are that you are immune to them, so ask a trusted friend to do a “whiff test” for you.
Do Not Forget Your Yard
If you own a dog or an outside cat, do not forget to pick up any messes in the backyard. Anyone who buys your house is also buying your yard, so there is a good chance prospective buyers will want to check out the outdoor space as well. A yard that is marred by animal excretions that have not been picked up will look poorly upon the entire property, as will holes and divots that mark where your pet likes to dig.
Keep Pet Liability in Mind
You are responsible for the actions of your pet. If your pet bites or otherwise harms or injuries a potential home buyer, you are liable for the action and can be sued. Even if you are confident that your pet is harmless, it is far better to keep it far away from potential buyers who are in your home. Do not forget, animals can be unpredictable, especially around people they do not know. Even the most mild-mannered pets can attack a stranger with very little provocation. If you do keep your pets around when you are showing your house and want an extra level of protection, make sure your homeowner’s insurance has protection for this type of incident.
Get Rid of Pet Hair
Pet hair can get all over everything and can make even the neatest house look unclean. Further, it can trigger the allergies of a potential buyer of your home. Get rid of pet hair before every showing of your home. Vacuum every carpeted area, sweep the floors and remove all pet hair from the surfaces of furniture and other objects. Consider getting a vacuuming robot that you can schedule to clean the floors several times a day.
Hide Evidence of Your Pet
Visible items like leashes, toys, collars, pet beds and water bowls are telltale signs that a pet lives at the house, even when it is not home. Although all of your pet’s various paraphernalia may not bother you, potential homebuyers will view them as nothing but clutter. Stow these items away where potential buyers cannot see them and make negative judgments about them.
Relocate Your Pet
Although this solution is not popular, it is the best one. If you are serious about selling your home, and your favorite furry friend is preventing a sale, consider finding a place for it to stay temporarily. Remove your pet from the premises and have it stay with a trusted friend or relative or consider boarding it at a kennel. If you absolutely cannot bear being without your pet while your house is on the market, take it with you to work during the day and ask someone you trust to keep it overnight. If you absolutely cannot relocate your pet the entire time your house is on the market, at least make sure it is not home when you are showing the house.
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