With April 11 designated National Pet Day, it’s a good time to talk about how to sell your home when you own a dog, cat, or any other kind of pet.
Selling your home is stressful. Showing a home with pets is an added layer of anxiety — for both the pets and the owners — although it can be easier for some than others. If you own a reptile or exotic fish in a tank, they’re safely contained, as are birds in their cages, and won’t be an inconvenience during showings.
If you own a dog or cat, however, the inconvenience is mostly to you. How much damage has your cat or dog caused in your home that you need to repair? Will someone let the cat escape by accident? Will your dog bark the entire time the prospective buyers are inside the house? Does your whole house smell of dog or cat since they basically roam into every square inch of it? And what should you do about it all?
How to prepare for showings
Your REALTOR® might tell you that houses that smell or look like pets have lived in them are harder to sell. It’s very difficult to get the odour of cat or dog urine out of carpets, and even flooring, and buyers know this — especially if they also own pets. Even if your pet is house-trained, accidents still sometimes happen. And if you have an anxious pet, damage happens, too.
There are many ways to de-pet your house before putting it on the market, and with a little extra work — just like when you’re trying to sell your home if you have young children underfoot — you can keep it looking and smelling pristine until the day it’s sold.
1. Steam clean all textiles
Soft surfaces soak up odours like a sponge. So the first thing you need to do is steam clean everything. This includes carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, cushions and even curtains. Pets rub against floor-length curtains and couches, getting oils, odours, and fur on the fabric. Take curtains to a professional cleaner if they aren’t washable.
2. Groom your pet and clean their homes
Get your pet groomed by a pro before you list your house. You can do it yourself, but a pro can get more hair and dander off than you can — plus, all that hair is better off in the groomer’s drain than yours. Brush your furry friend regularly while your house is on the market. Any hair you get off on a brush is hair that won’t end up on your sofa or in your rugs. Keep all pet enclosures, tanks and cages scrupulously clean.
3. Get an air purifier tower
To you, it smells like home. But your HVAC system has been circulating the same hair and dander all winter long. Adding an air purifier tower with a HEPA filter will pull hair and dander out of the air
before they even reach your HVAC. Most air ducts don’t need to be cleaned, especially if you change filters regularly. But if dander and fur seem to be taking over your house, it’s time to hire a duct-cleaning company before putting your home on the market.
4. Repair all damage
Pet claws leave obvious marks on doors and walls. For synthetic materials, you’ll just need to paint over the marks. For wood surfaces, a wood-filler pen can fill in the scratches. If you have major damage to your hardwood floors, refinishing them or replacing them is a good investment with a stellar 100% ROI. If you have damaged furniture, like shredded upholstery or cushions, cover them with slipcovers.
5. Abolish all odour
Charcoal pulls moisture and odours out of the air. You can get inconspicuous little bags of it to hang in places your pets love most. Or use enzymatic cleaners. They’re the special forces of odour busters as they are made of beneficial bacteria that eat stains and odours. They’re formulated to stamp out a particular type of stain, so check to make sure it’s the right kind for the specific issue. Clean litter boxes daily. Keep all cages and tanks spotless and change bedding daily.
6. Spot clean furniture daily
If you’re like many pet owners, trying to keep your dog or cat off the couch completely isn’t worth the effort. Instead, cover your furniture and pillows with throws or pet covers, and wash them at least once a week. And don’t forget to clean your bed, too, especially if you have a pet that sleeps with you at night. For quick hair removal before a showing, wipe surfaces down with a roller, dryer sheet or rubber gloves.
7. Vacuum and sweep your house daily
Yes, it’s a boring chore, but keeping your floors and rugs fur-free and feather-free every day is just as important as keeping it off your furniture. Pet smells spread fast. It’s also important to prevent your dog from tracking grit and mud all over your house after a walk, so clean their paws and fur at the door before you go back inside. A Swiffer or old fashioned mop is great for picking up hair and light dirt, but investing in an e-vacuum might be a better idea. That way, you know your floors are always clean.
8. Freshen up your yard
If you own a dog that likes to do its business all over your yard, you’ll need to stay on top of its messes and clean them up each time, no exceptions, even if your dog was trained to go in one specific area like a fenced run. In warm weather especially, a dog’s business gets smelly quickly, attracting flies, and in winter, those ugly yellow and brown stains all over the snow are just plain gross to look at. You want buyers to see your yard, not the mess your pet leaves behind.
Home showing etiquette
Ideally, removing all pets from a home during showings and open houses is best, but we all know this isn’t always feasible.
If your pet lives in a tank or cage and is safely contained during showings, that’s perfect. Neither your pet or the prospective buyers will bother each other. But if you own a dog, unless you know your dog will sit silently in its crate while strangers walk around your home, consider taking it for a long walk, or to a doggy daycare or friend’s place during showings. Cats can be less of an issue, but make sure your REALTOR® is aware of the cat’s presence so that no one accidentally lets it escape when they enter and exit the house. If you happen to have an aggressive or especially fearful pet, the kindest thing you can do is remove it from the home during showings.
If your pets are caged or crated somewhere private, they’ll feel safe, and so will any prospective buyers who may feel anxious around animals. But not everyone will love seeing your pet as much as you do, so if your REALTOR® suggests removing it for the duration of the selling process, don’t be offended by the request. Your REALTOR® is trying to show your home in the best light possible, and can emphasize the pet-friendly features like a fenced yard, doggie doors, nearby parks and other positives that pet owners, as well as other buyers, will appreciate.
Most animals don’t like continual change. If you can’t relocate your pet, it’s possible your vet can suggest calming methods or medications. It might be worth getting a vet’s advice on how to minimize the stress selling a home can put on your pets.
By keeping these tips in mind and enlisting the help of a REALTOR®, showing and selling your home successfully will be as easy as loving your pet.