Home Selling with Pets
I’m a dog person. Most dogs are loveable creatures. Cats not so much, but I digress!
When it comes to selling homes, it’s generally best to get animals out of the home. Pets, no matter how cute, are problematic for some people. Buyers may be afraid of them, or worse they may be allergic. The animal may bark, howl or otherwise become distressed during a showing. There’s also the whole liability topic – nothing good happens if a buyer gets bitten or scratched by a pet.
We recommend getting animals out of the house if possible during showings, and putting away signs of the pet (water bowls, chew toys, etc). When impractical, we recommend crating. It’s also unfair to ask a sales agent to deal with your loose pet during showings…and you don’t want to risk losing your pet if a door is inadvertently left open.
While I’ll cover home odors in more depth in a subsequent post suffice to say YES I can smell your pet. Your pet contributes to the smell of your home (even your fish tank.) A wet dog always smells like a wet dog (all breeds, fur or hair, big or small, long or short haired). Cat litter smells unnaturally perfumed, or worse like the content the perfume is supposed to cover. In addition to dogs and cats, my personal home has had water dragons, rabbits and guinea pigs. During the home sales process, extra attention needs to be paid to litter, bedding, etc.
As your real estate agent, my job is to give you the unvarnished truth regarding the home sales process. Pets are great, and with some extra attention won’t fowl your home sale!
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