Pet owners face unique challenges when it comes to selling their home. If not careful, unprepared pet-parents can find themselves on the market too long and may inadvertently diminish their homes perceived value, losing money in the process. An experienced pet-centered real estate agent can make sure that doesn’t happen.

There are certain things about pets that can be a big turn-off for buyers even if they are pet owners themselves. Before listing your home for sale you’re going to want a pet-friendly realtor that can assess your current situation and work with you to come up with solutions that’ll help you protect and preserve your home’s value. 

To get a good understanding of what needs to happen to get your home ready, here are the most common obstacles that pet owners face trying to sell and ways you can overcome them.

If asked, you must disclose

Some states require you to disclose if a pet lives in the home, North Carolina does not. However, if asked you’re obligated to be transparent with potential buyers. Buyers might love animals, but they are extremely critical when it comes to other’s pets in a home they are considering purchasing. 

You don’t want to turn-off potential buyers right off the bat, remove all evidence of your pet from your home. Get rid of that litter box, remove photos of pets in the house, put away food and water bowls, pick up all toys, and pack up all pet belongings. 

Owners and pets cannot be present during showings

Real estate agents will always recommend that owners not be present during showings but it’s even more important if you have pets. Pets must be removed during the showings. It makes buyers uncomfortable to have owners or their pets around when they are looking at potential homes to buy.

Pets can be unpredictable when strangers are walking through their home, it puts everyone at risk. You CAN be held liable if your pet bites someone while on your property. Some buyers will flat out refuse to look at a home with pets onsite because of a fear of animals. People don’t respond kindly to animals barking, growling, or jumping on them. 

Many pet-parent sellers choose to temporarily relocate their pet while selling their home, others allow friends or family to care for them, use boarding services, treat them to a spa day or plan for weekend showings where they can spend the day away with their pets. Scheduling can be tough, know what you’re getting into and work with an agent who also understands this challenge.

Get rid of familiar pet odors

Pet owners are used to the pet odors in their home and often aren’t aware that their home even has an odor. Most visitors are too polite to mention it but it’s an immediate turn-off for potential buyers. Simply spraying air freshener or trying to mask it with scented wax or a candle won’t work, you’ll need to take the time to properly deep clean and deodorize your home. You do not want your home to get a reputation of having a ‘pet smell’, this could have a negative impact on the ability to sell your home and affect your home’s perceived value.

Deep clean every room in the house and don’t miss floors, baseboards, curtains, comforters, and pillows. All fabrics, upholstery, rugs, and textiles should be cleaned and treated with a pet specific deodorizer that neutralizes the odor. If possible, have this done professionally. 

Replace all furnace filters with new ones and anything else that can emit a pet smell from your home. An air purifier is a great investment that you can take with you to your new home. Do not trust your own nose, have a friend or neighbor give you an honest opinion about pet odor in the home.

Flooring is important

The condition of your floors can either hurt or help you sell your home. Carpet, unless new, is a turn-off for most buyers especially if you have pets. If floors are damaged from your pets it could make it more difficult to sell your home.

Consider investing in new flooring or having wood floors refinished. If purchasing new is not an option, think about whether you’d be willing to offer a credit towards new floors as an incentive for buyers. 

Preparing the property inside and out

Pet damage is inevitable. We love our animals, but they do destroy things. Carpets, furniture, flooring, walls, baseboards, doors, and landscape and fencing can all show signs of pet damage. You need to take a good hard look at the damage inside and outside of your home and make repairs before showing your home. Your home’s curb appeal is the first impression a potential buyer will see, clean up messes in the yard and pay particular attention to the lawn and landscape. 

It takes work selling your home when you have pets, but that extra attention can pay off in a big way. Working with an experienced real estate agent will help you prioritize what needs to be done and when, and save you time, effort, and money in the long run. 

In a previous post I talked about some of the challenges that pet-owners run into trying to sell their homes and what to do about it. Today, I’m sharing real-world real estate advice, so pet-owners know how to prepare for and have a successful showing. 

Here’s how you can put your best foot forward and help me, your agent, get the best price for your home. 

Remove your pet from the home during showings. 

Pets are unpredictable but especially so when strangers are walking through their home. Buyers don’t take kindly to animals barking at them or jumping on them. Pets (and you, too for that matter) must be off the premises during the showing. It’ll help your buyers feel more at home. 

Having a pet around during showings is a huge liability that puts everyone at risk; if something happens you can, and likely will, be held responsible. I’ve known buyers who will refuse to look at a home if an animal is present, which of course isolates your potential for a sale. Even buyers who love pets don’t typically appreciate them when they are looking at a potential home to buy. 

Deep clean your home and then deodorize. 

We get so used to the pet odors in our homes that oftentimes we aren’t aware that there even is an odor. A bad smell is an immediate turn-off for buyers, and they oftentimes will decide to “pass” on the spot. Air freshener and candles do not mask the smell of pets, you will need to take the time to deep clean every room in the house and treat it with a deodorizer specifically for pet odors. You’ll also need to clean all fabrics and replace the furnace filters. I highly recommend that you have all of this done professionally. 

After deep cleaning your home, you’ll then have to stay on top of it and go through it again for the next showing. Because of this reason many pet-owners will temporarily relocate their animals when selling their homes. A home with a reputation of stinky odors will have a tough time selling. 

Remove all signs of your pet living there. 

Pack up and remove everything that is pet related. You do not want a sign of pets to be the first impression for a potential buyer. Get rid of litter boxes, crates, toys, food and water bowls, leashes, scratching posts or furniture, and all personal photos. You want to stage your home in a way that a potential buyer wouldn’t even be able to tell that a pet lives there. And because your agent will need access to the whole house you won’t be able to tuck them away in a closet. If you overlook something it’s okay a pet-friendly real estate agent is a pro at handling things that come up, just put your best foot forward. 

Repair damages inside and outside of the home. 

Even the best-behaved animals will destroy things. Pets will be pets and it’s not uncommon for them to scratch, chew, break, or tear things up. We forgive them because we love them but it’s not what a potential buyer wants to see when purchasing a home. Buyers are extremely critical and especially so if they learn the homeowner has pets. Before listing your home, you should make necessary repairs to get your house show ready. If you’re still residing in the home, you’ll want to keep a close watch out for anything new that comes up and make sure that is fixed immediately and especially before any showing.  

Clean up and pay attention to the yard. 

Sellers spend so much time making sure their house is ready for the showings that oftentimes the yard is overlooked. You cannot neglect your yard, for some buyers it will be just as important as the house itself. Pick up messes, make necessary repairs, and replace sod where needed. 

Your homes curb appeal and the landscape are the first impression a potential buyer will have of your home. Make it count. An investment here could pay off in a big way. 

Having pets does require a little extra effort when it comes time to sell your home but before investing in expensive repairs, call me. I can assess where you’re at, the actual work that needs to be done, and most importantly how best to go about it so we can get you on the market quickly and get you the best price for your home.