Selling Your Home If You Have Pets

We all love our four-legged family members but the person looking to buy your home might not. This can be a very sensitive issue if you're a pet lover who is trying to sell your home. Here are some tips on how to sell your house if you have pets at home.

Someone could potentially lose the sale of their home if they have a pet at home. So, what should you do with your pets if your home is on the market?

The core issue that you need to come back to is that people are looking for reasons to not buy a particular home because there is so much to pick from. When people have so much to pick from, they are looking for reasons to eliminate things.

When showing properties I have experienced times when the buyer didn't even get 10 feet into the home because they could tell there were pets in there and they were allergic. Buyers will immediately walk out and not give the home a chance of selling.

Why don't home buyers like our pets?

There is nervousness and fear because your pets are not their pets. A buyer does not know that your great, big standard poodle is just a big baby. And furthermore, they don't want to know about your pet because they are afraid.

What is the #1 solution to dealing with your pets if your home is on the market?

The #1 solution is getting rid of the pet. Not long ago while showing a house to a young family, a little girl walked into the den and said, "What is this behind the blanket?" When the blanket was pulled back there was a great, big snake there. Everybody ran for the front door! It is so creepy to think about.

The best thing is to get rid of pets. They may be your pride and joy, but get them out of the house if you can; relocate them.

If you decide to keep your pets in the home while your house is on the market, what are some of the things you can do to overcome the negatives that are associated with having a pet?

Get rid of all the "tell-tale" signs. Get rid of the smell; get your carpets professionally cleaned, get rid of the toys and the dog food bowls and all that kind of stuff. Keep cat litter boxes and dog pads out of sight and impeccably clean. Just get away from it because you don't want to give that buyer any reason not to choose your home.

If you can't get your pets out of the home during a showing, what should you do with them?

It's a tough call, but the best thing is to put them in the laundry room or the garage. This can be kind of tricky in some weather, but take them away from the buyer's first impression. When a buyer walks in that front door, you don't want a dog barking at them, or to have that smell greet them as they walk in. You've got to make that home as user-friendly as possible to everybody.