It’s time to sell your home and you probably already know that you need to get it in shape to impress potential buyers.
Making repairs, painting, and cleaning are all musts, as well as getting your home decor in order so potential buyers can see themselves settling into your home. Agents talk about removing personal items like framed family photos and refrigerator magnets to help too. When it’s time to show your home, you’ll want to make sure that you and your family are out of the house so your agent can get to work. But what about your four-legged family members?
While your pets might be just the welcome you need at the end of the day, when it comes to buyers, that’s not the case. Having your pets at home while you are in the process of selling is a definite no-no, but there are some strategies to sell your home while keeping your pets happy.
Take your cleaning to the next level
Even if you have a hypoallergenic Maltese or Poodle who doesn’t shed or a Sphynx cat with no hair there’s no doubt that having pets in your house means you need to take extra steps to clean. Vacuuming and cleaning up food and water bowls are all musts as well as covering up any smells with air fresheners or deep cleaning. If you have a litter box for your cat, that needs to be cleaned and stored somewhere out of sight during your showings too. If walls or furniture are scratched you’ll need to spiff them up. If your cat or dog tends to do their business in the backyard, you’ll definitely need to give your yard some TLC before any showings.
Create a showing game plan
When you make a plan to be away from home for showings and open houses, your pets need to make an exit too. There are a few ways to handle this situation. You might have a friend or neighbor who can look after your dog, cat, or other pets while your house is on center stage. Other options are pet hotels, kennels, and taking your dog with you to work or out while you are running errands. The key is to have a plan in advance so you aren’t left at the last minute wondering how to keep your pets safe while showing your home.
Store away pet supplies
Decluttering your home is an important step when getting it ready to show and pet supplies are no exception. The last thing you want is for a potential buyer to trip over your dog or cat’s water bowl, or favorite toy. Gather all of these pet supplies and store them in a safe place so you can find everything easily and bring them back out when you need them.
Selling a home with pets is definitely possible with a little planning and cleaning. Talking to your realtor about your home showing and open house schedule can help make the process easier for everyone, including your four-legged family members.