Selling Your Home When You're a Pet Owner
Mortgage News from Quicken Loans
You're ready to move. Your house is on the market and you're sure it will go fast. But...it doesn't. People love it, but don't seem to want to come back for a second look. Why? What's wrong?
Maybe it's because you have pets.
While you may think your dog or cat is a snugly, cute and lovable family member, your prospective home buyer may think of that pet as a stinky, hairy, destructive nuisance. The bottom line -- dogs and cats (and other pets) can actually make your home harder to sell.
So what do you do?
Experts often suggest that you put your pets in a kennel. Out of sight, out of mind. This is one of the surest ways to keep your house presentable while showing.
The potential problem with boarding your animals is that in some regions of the United States, homes are selling slowly. At an average of $20 a day for kennel fees, the costs can add up. Can you imagine if it takes six months to sell your home? That would be a kennel fee of $3,600! Plus, most pet owners aren't comfortable with having their pets in a kennel for a long time.
If you don't want to spend a fortune on animal boarding and you don't like the idea of your pets being locked up indefinitely in a kennel, you have other options. They just might require work. Most importantly, you have to keep your house clean.
Get Out The Vacuum!
Vacuum every day, even twice a day. A house full of pet hair can be a huge turn off to non-pet owners. When vacuuming, pay careful attention to the corners and edges of carpeting. Unsightly animal hair can build up in these areas and may not always be picked up by normal vacuum cleaners. Lint rollers come in handy for cloth furniture and other areas that are difficult to vacuum.
Avoid Basement Smells
There are two smells that can be particularly offensive to a prospective buyer when they tour your basement: must and mildew smells, which can signal a leak or flooding problem, and that stinky cat litter box. Few things are worse than a dirty litter box; it will send buyers running for the side door. Clean it daily! Keep that litter box at bay by keeping all pet waste out of it as much as possible, using cat litter with air fresheners to control odor, buying the highest quality litter possible and touching up the litter box before each showing. You might even consider washing the litter box when replacing litter with soapy water and a small amount of bleach. This cuts down on bacteria and will keep smells to a minimum.
With dogs, the odors can be more subtle. Try boiling cinnamon in water for 30 minutes before your buyers arrive. Try misting water scented with lemon or orange on linens before ironing, or when you change your sheets. Also, use cleaning products with a lemon scent and wipe all surfaces before a showing, including window sills, walls and doors. If the smell of your pets is extremely strong, try bleach. While bleach is not a favored smell, most experts agree the smell of bleach is better than the smell of someone else's pets.
Build a Temporary Pen
During your home showings, keep barking dogs or other distracting animals out of the house or buyers might have a hard time focusing on the home. Arrange for friends or family to take your dogs for a few hours. Or if you have to, take the dogs for a long walk until the showing is over. Having them at the house is the last choice and should be avoided at all costs. The last thing you need is a lawsuit when someone claims your dog bit them or a family member.
If you simply can't arrange to get your dogs out of the house, set up a temporary pen in your backyard. Your real estate agent will alert any other agents showing the home that your pet will safely stay in the pen. You can buy temporary pens for about $200; this gets you a 6' x 6' pen that you can take with you when you move. Temporary pens keep pets out of the rest of your backyard and away from fresh landscaping.
Market Your Home to Other Pet Lovers
Perhaps the best piece of advice: Sell your home to another pet owner. Instead of trying to hide all evidence of pets, promote the fact that your home is "pet-friendly." Work with your real estate agent to market your home to other pet lovers. Advertise your home in Humane Society and local animal shelter newsletters, on animal lovers' websites and discussion groups. You could volunteer at local shelters to do some old-fashioned, grass-roots promotion of your home.
With a little bit of planning, you can sell your home, even if you have pets. You have plenty of options for keeping your pets safe during showings, and with a bit more elbow grease, potential buyers don't have to be hit at the door with their presence. Get creative and your home still has a great chance of selling quickly.
This article is reprinted by permission from Quicken Loans © 2007 Quicken Loans Inc. All rights reserved.
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