Having pets can make your home a bit harder to sell. Here are some tips to prepare your home so well that buyers won’t have the slightest clue you are a pet owner.
Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value Report
If you have a pet and you’re looking to sell your home, we have some helpful advice to share. It can be an overwhelming process, but this will make things easier on you
Two out of three of us have a pet, and 61% of pet owners say they have trouble finding a home that is a good match for their pet. There are a lot of buyers and sellers out there who have pets.
“THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT MANY BUYERS WANT A PET-FRIENDLY HOME.”
On the other hand, 67% of Realtors also estimate that actually having a pet in your home can make it harder for you to sell. So what can you do? Here are three helpful tips that should make things easier on you:
1. Repair any damage. Floors, walls, doors, the yard—these are some typical areas that pets love to chew, scratch, and dig up. Touch that stuff up and make it look cleaner, nicer, and sharper. Repairing this damage is an investment that will pay for itself many times over in terms of a higher selling price.
2. Get a professional to remove pet odors. Many pet owners are less sensitive to odors in their home than prospective buyers will be. Some pets have worse odors than others. That’s why you should hire a professional cleaning crew to clean any carpets, rugs, or upholstery that have absorbed pet odors. Once you’re done with the cleaning, ask a friend or your Realtor for a sniff assessment to make sure the job is really complete.
3. Take your pet out during showings. Some people are afraid of animals. Others are allergic. Regardless of the time, money, and effort you’ve put in to clean and repair your home, many buyers will be prejudiced by knowing that a pet currently lives there. That’s why I recommend taking your pet out during showings and also removing any pet objects such as toys, food bowls, or scratching posts.
By following these three simple guidelines, you will be able to sell your home for top dollar in today’s market, whether the buyer is a pet owner or not. Having a pet shouldn’t affect your bottom line, and it won’t if you follow these tips.
If you have any questions or concerns about preparing your home for a sale, give me a call. I’m here to help. In the meantime, have a great day, from all of us at The Ryan Smith Home Selling Team.
