Anyone with a pet knows that it’s not always easy to sell a house when it smells like a dog lives in it. Even when people looking around your house love pets, it doesn’t mean that they want to know that a pet lives there! Visitors should feel comfortable in your home, and when there are potential house buyers as your visitors, you may well be relying on them to feel as comfortable as possible.
It doesn’t matter whether you have dogs, birds, or cats; potential buyers shouldn’t be aware there is a pet in the house when they visit. You need your house looking and smelling fantastic, and though they may notice the bowls of the best puppy food UK in the kitchen or utility room, it doesn’t mean that you need a sofa covered in hair or a slobbering dog bounding up when they walk in.
Pet Territory
It can be challenging to sell a house that pets are living in, especially if a pet feels territorial over their space. A house move alone is a disruption to their routine, and even though you may think your pet is the friendliest around, it may be a different story with strangers in the house. Behaviour can change in an instant, and just because you’ve had guests before doesn’t mean that they’ll be okay with it now. Pets who are adequately trained shouldn’t be a problem, as they won’t leave as many scratch marks on the hardwood floor or the back door!
Covering Their Tracks
We’ve just mentioned the scratch marks, but it’s not the only thing to think about. Pet hair can be a nuisance in the house. Instead of worrying about whether your pet has left pet hair around in time for a viewing, you can cover their tracks. Half an hour before the viewing begins, you can put your pet in their containment area (cage, kennel, etc.) and give the house a vacuum to remove all the pet hair. You can light a scented candle to ensure that the house smells beautiful, and you can replace the sofa and bed throws to cover any scratches or marks.
Ideally, you’d have your home professionally cleaned by companies well-versed in pet cleaning, including carpet and flooring cleaning. This is a good suggestion if you haven’t been able to clean it as much as you would have liked.
Total Removal
The best thing to do before viewings are to use that time to take your dog for a walk. This doesn’t just give you time to cover their tracks, but it allows you to relax about possible barking at new people. You need your home to be a show home, and you can’t do that with a dribbly and excitable dog around.
When you list your home with photos, try to remove pet paraphernalia from the images. It’s so much easier to sell a house that looks fresh and clean and a little less like a dog has used it as a playground!
