Evidence of a pet can be a dealbreaker for some home buyers. Some people have allergies and simply can’t be in a house that a pet lives in, some are scared of dogs, and others are put off by the smell. If you want to get the best price and a quick sale, you’ll need to hide all evidence of your pet living there. Here’s what you need to do.
Eliminate Pet Odors
Pet odors can seep into furniture and carpets, so if anything is particularly old, your best move is to replace them altogether. If any furniture is still new, you can try cleaning it — PetMD recommends using your normal detergent along with a quarter cup of apple cider vinegar. Wash everything that can be removed, including pillows, blankets, and cushions. If you don’t want to replace your carpets, you should at least steam clean them after the first spot cleaning any visible urine stains with specialized products. You can also get a HEPA air purifier to remove pet dander from the air, and it doesn’t hurt to open all the windows to let fresh air in, especially on the day of viewing.
Repair or Replace Damaged Furniture
Walk around your home and look at each item of furniture in turn. Look for scratches, bite marks or urine stains. If you have just a few marks, you’ll be able to repair these yourself — DIY Network has a good guide on that here. Then, check the carpets for urine stains. You can get most stains out with a combination of vinegar and baking soda, and steam cleaning will help with stubborn stains. If you can’t completely remove any damage to furniture or carpets completely, your best option is to replace it. Make sure you check on current interior design trends and buy new items in accordance with whatever style is in fashion. Another option is to move damaged furniture into storage while you’re selling your home. You’ll have to budget for the expense, but there are deals available. For example, U-STOR-IT Lincoln Park in San Diego is currently offering a 50 percent discount for the first month.
Hide Pet-Related Items
Go around the house room-by-room and remove all pet items you can find. This includes toys, treats, food bowls, bedding, scratch posts — everything you can find. Don’t forget the pet food in the cupboards too; buyers will likely open these up to check the storage space. One final step is to take down photos of your pet — in fact, you should take down all family photos, personal items, souvenirs, and trinkets. This is called depersonalization, and if your home is too personalized, it’s harder for buyers to see it as their own.
Move Your Pet Elsewhere During Viewings
Anna Hart Consultancy recommends that you take dogs for a walk during viewings. This is good advice, but it’s the minimum you can do. Remember, if you clean up your home and your pet still lives there the odors, stains, and damage will slowly return. You could leave your pet with a friend while the house is on the market, but if you can’t do this, try limiting your pet to a single room — ideally a non-carpeted one containing a HEPA air purifier.
The majority of households in America are home to a pet, so most of the time, your viewers won’t be bothered that you also have a cat or canine cohabitant. But remember that selling a house is all about mass appeal, and you want as many buyers as possible to feel comfortable in your home. If it does not look (or smell) its best, you may miss the perfect buyer, the one who’s willing to pay asking price or more. Don’t risk losing out on a sale: hide all evidence of your pet until the deal is finalized.
-Medina James, Author | www.dogetiquitte.info
Photo: Pixabay