Pets and Home Showings

September 14, 2015

Pets and Home Showings

Most people love pets but sometimes when you have pets in your home they could chase buyers away. Buyers and their agents would need to be comfortable and feel welcome when looking at properties for sale at their own leisure without distractions or dangers.

Sellers would find it useful to know what to do to their sweet little pets especially during the time of showings as they could get territorial and start barking around at strangers, etc. This could lose you the opportunity to close the sale. In this article, we will be discussing some tips to do when you have pets during a showing.

Talk to your pet’s veterinarian – change can be quite difficult for pets and they may not be able to adjust well especially for older ones. It is best to talk to a veterinarian and discuss with them on what you are planning on doing and how it will work with your specific pet or pets.

Relocate temporarily – while this may be something that you are not willing to do, sometimes it is the best thing to do so. Why? Some people consider having a pet as a turn off and would significantly reduce the worth of your home. If you have a friend or relatives that you are comfortable leaving your pet with, this will give you the chance to eliminate the signs of having a pet in the house.

Repair any damage – as much as we love our pets and we find them really adorable, but they are still animals which mean that they can inevitable destroy things around your home. It could be your carpet, furniture, hardwood floorings, doors and your fence. This is important especially prior to showing as this could also affect the value of the property. It is best to check and make necessary repair before opening the property for a showing.

Remove stains and pet odors – when living with a pet, it is also inevitable that their smell would linger around the home and while you have been immune to it, however new visitors will be able to notice the smell. Our sense of smell has a powerful effect towards our emotions and when buyers enter the house with a urine odor will surely put them off regardless of how wonderful your property is. You can resolve this by having a professional do the carpet and floor cleaning for you to ensure that the odor is eliminated.

Remove any signs of your pet – staging your home is essential in order to close the sale as early as possible. You may want buyers to be as unaware as possible of your pet ownership like putting away pet toys, beddings, litter boxes and food. Some agents recommend removing all photos where your pet is present as well to make sure that the pet does not show up in any marketing materials your create for your home.

Clean your yard – do so by picking up any messes in the backyard and replace or repair any damages as necessary. So one of the best tip is not to neglect the yard as this is just as important to some buyers as the inside of the home.

Prepare properly – Sometimes it is impossible to conceal all evidence of you having pets in the home, so make sure that you do everything necessary in order to put your property prior to its pet-free status. This will make your house looks as good as it did before you had your pet.

Remember pet liability – you could be held liable if you have your pet bite someone while in your property, so why take the chance? This is one of the most important things that you should consider when you would like to sell your home with pets. Check your home insurance policy and make sure that dog bite coverage is included.

We have pretty much covered some of the important tips to consider when selling your home with pets. It is always best to ensure the safety of your potential buyers before opening your home for showing to be able to avoid losing that sale. Speak with a professional or an agent if you are unsure of what to do to provide you with an informed decision. Happy selling!

Source: http://realtytimes.com/consumeradvice/sellersadvice1/item/37257-20150807-what-sellers-should-know-about-pets-and-showings

http://www.millerhobbs.com/2015/08/17/simple-ways-to-help-sell-your-home-even-with-pets-around/