As a pet owner you may be surprised to learn that your pets can help you to sell your property. Usually people consider pets a liability when it comes to a home property. There is more cleaning required and sometimes more maintenance. However, if you just follow these simple suggestions below you’ll see how easy it is to make the most of your pets to help you move home.

How Can Pets Help You Sell Your Home?

According to the American Pet Products Association, there’s a pet in 67% of US households. In the world of real estate, it solidifies the American dream: a house, a family, and a four-legged friend. However, not everyone is an animal lover, and you never know who will come to look at your property in hopes of buying it.

So, if you’ve been recently looking for all those “we buy houses” ads in hopes of finding a potential buyer but you’re worried about having a pet around – don’t panic! In this article, you’ll find suggestions on how to make the presence of your four-legged friend an asset. If you want to learn more, keep on reading!

Entryway

This is how you can make a good first impression. Keep your entryway clean and organized. You may have a pet bed, some toys, and a leash in there. If someone sees a leash lying around, trips over a ball or a squeaky toy, and notices a messy bed with a dirty, smelly blanket, they won’t be encouraged to explore further.

Kitchen

It’s safe to assume that you feed your pets in the kitchen. As such, you’ll have bowls on the floor or on the counter. For the best chance to sell your property, before the showing, make sure there’s no food or treats lying around and wipe off any spilled water; the floor and the bowls should be clean. Fill the bowls with fresh food and water – it’s going to paint the right picture for you as a responsible pet owner, and for the house as a friendly place. You can also buy a cute treat container and brand new bowls for your pets.

Living Room

Real estate agents advise against displaying family pictures because they’re too personal and prevent the buyers from seeing your property as their potential future house. However, people seem not to mind framed pet pictures. If you have them, don’t put them away! Additionally, to make your living room look even more pet-friendly, stash the toys in the place they belong and put a pet bed next to the area you like to sit.

Bathroom

This one is for cat owners who keep the litter box in a bathroom. Remember to clean it before potential buyers arrive and consider spraying some air freshener to get rid of the smells. Nobody will mind the litter box as long as it’s clean – you could also consider getting a closed-off model to make it more discreet.

Bedroom

Pet beds and baskets can add a friendly touch to your bedroom. Place them in a place where nobody will trip over them, for example, at the foot of your bed or near a window. You can throw in some pillows or a nice, clean blanket. Just don’t put any of the chewing toys on display!

Backyard

While you’re at it, don’t forget about your backyard. Preparing your yard will help you sell your property. You need to ensure it’s immaculate! It may be difficult if you have a dog that loves to dig around. Still, if you show the buyers a clean backyard with green grass and well-kept flower beds, they may see it as an inviting space for their own pets to play. If you have a doghouse, make use of it as well. Make sure it looks neat and consider repainting it. However, remember to use light colors for heat protection.

Show and sell your property without Pets

You never know what kind of person enters your house. Maybe they have pets themselves and they won’t mind seeing or indeed meeting your four-legged friend around. In fact if they like your pet it may help you sell your home. But maybe they don’t like animals at all and are scared of them. As such, it would be best if you removed your fluffy for the showing of your house and let any potential buyers watch your property in peace.

Obviously, you don’t want to deter people from buying your house by showing you have a pet. Sometimes, putting your cat or dog in another room or in the garden may be insufficient, and, in some cases, not possible. However, you can try these solutions:

• Let your friends or relatives take care of your pet for the time being.
• Take your pet to a groomer or a pet spa.
• Board your pets at a kennel.
• Let your friends or family take them on a ride and for an outdoor adventure.
• Take your pet to work with you and leave your significant other to handle the showing of your house.

Feel free to come up with other ideas! Remember that while some signs of you having a pet at home can be endearing, there are buyers who will be distracted and scared by your four-legged friend. That’s why it’s better not to risk it.

Showing Your House With Pets Present

If, for some reason, you’re unable to remove your pets from the house for the showing, there’s no need to panic. After all, you’re the petowner, so you probably raised them well and you know how can they react to strangers. However, you should notify your agent so that they could give the buyers a heads-up. Preparation is always beneficial when trying to sell your property.

For the showing, you may consider putting your pets in a pen or a carrier to keep them in one place for the time being. You can attach a “Do not disturb” note to prevent anyone from reaching in. Ultimately, you can notify potential buyers that they may see a pet walking around the house and reassure them that there’s nothing to worry about. Keep an eye on your pet to prevent any unwanted contact from their side.

The Bottom Line

With so many people having pets, it’s not unusual to encounter one during a home showing. However, not everyone likes them, and some people may be scared of them. Even though your pet may be the best-behaved creature in the world, it still won’t ease the mind of a person with a deep fear of animals. And so some people consider pets an obstacle rather then helping you to sell your property.

Fortunately, having a pet doesn’t mean you won’t be able to sell your house. Sometimes it can even help you sell it. If you manage to keep the house clean and odorless, little signs indicating that you have a four-legged friend can be ever so endearing. And if you don’t manage to remove your pet for the house showing, make sure you notify all parties involved and keep an eye on them so that nobody gets disturbed.

HANDY REFERENCES ABOUT REAL ESTATE AND SELLING PROPERTY

At Houesitmatch.com we like to offer useful and practical articles on topics for our readers. In this selection we offer you a number of suitable pieces from our own blog on renovating and decorating a home.

Signs of a bad real estate agent

Picking a real estate agent – Be in the know

Selling a property for the first time – What not to do

Sustainable lifestyle at home – Expert top tips

Housesitters keep pets safe at home and save money

What a housesitter does – Top 10 responsibilities