Pet Smart – Tips for Pet Owners Selling Their Home
Home is where the heart is, and pets are often at the heart of many homes.
However much joy a pet adds to your life, when selling your home, the same golden rule applies to pet owners and non-pet owners alike: look at your home through the eyes of potential buyers. Presenting your home in a way that allows as many people as possible to envision themselves in your space is a tried and true strategy for achieving a fast sale.
Whether a buyer is a pet lover or not, keeping evidence of your furry friend at bay will increase your chances of selling your home quickly and for top dollar.
Here are a few strategies for pet owners selling their home:
Arrange a pet vacation
While your home is listed and especially when you have showings and open houses scheduled, it’s best to relocate your pet.
It can be stressful to animals to have strangers come and go, and each time a Realtor® shows your home, you run the risk of your animal getting loose outside. Leaving your pet with a friend or family member, or investing in a short-term stay at a kennel are good options for you and your pet during the home selling process.
Restore your home to its pre-pet life
Sprucing up your home before you sell is always a good idea. A little TLC can do wonders to correct the daily wear and tear that inevitably comes with a resale home. Pets have a way of leaving their own mark on a property, so consider adding the following to your home selling to-do list:
Clean carpet and floor stains
Floors are the first thing a potential buyer sees and feels when they enter your home. A deep cleaning that corrects tracked-in dirt and remnants of a missed bathroom break is a must.
Buff out scratches
If your trim has taken a beating over the years, then it’s done its job, but potential buyers prefer to see a home for what it can be, not what it’s been through. Adding a fresh coat of paint to your trim helps stage a clean slate for the next occupants.
Neutralize Odours
An odour-free home is everyone’s preference, but remember that even mild pet odours are unpleasant to potential buyers. Our sense of smell is strongly connected to our emotions and memory, so do everything you can to ensure that impressions left by your home are pleasant and scent-free.
Don’t leave the outside out
Has your pet left divots in your lawn from playing? Has the turf in your yard seen better days? Maybe there’s damage to the fence from years of playing catch? Consider any exterior evidence of your pet before buyers set foot on your property.
Showcase a pet-free home
A qualified home stager will recommend removing as many personal items from your home before selling to help create a blank canvas for the next owners. For pet “parents,” this means removing toys, food and water bowls, cages and scratching posts. Even photos of your pets are not recommended to leave around.
Remember, it’s not your home, it’s a buyer’s potential next home, and if that home has a pet in it is theirs to envision.
