Staging and selling your home takes a little more thought when you have pets in the house. One thing you have to consider is what to do with your pets when buyers come for a showing. You love your pets dearly, they’re a part of your family, but that doesn’t mean the buyers coming for a visit will have the same feelings.
There are many people that adore all types of creatures, there are also people that like some but not others and sadly there are some people who don’t like pets at all or who may have allergies to pet dander. Being sensitive to these different groups of people is tough. Having pets in your home during visits may distract the buyers from actually focusing on the house because of there love or fear of your pets being there.
Taking them with you when you leave the home for the showing is a great idea if you can do it. If you have small pets that can be crated and not cause a distraction, leaving them in the home may be enough. If your pets are larger or a nuisance (we know yours probably aren’t), you may want to find temporary housing for them during the selling process. Some options for temporary housing could be with family, friends or having them boarded.
Another thing you need to consider when staging your home for showing is possible pet smells that you may be used to, but others might find a turn off. Have your carpets professionally cleaned, making sure to tell the cleaners that you have pets and to remove any stains and odors that may be present.
You’ll also want to go through your rooms and check for pet hair that might have accumulated on the sides of your furniture and drapes and vacuum it off.
If your pets are staying in the home during the selling process, make sure that pet food is not left in places buyers may look, such as cabinets and pantries. Store them in the garage while the home is being shown.
Making sure your home is staged to appeal to many people is a hard task; hopefully these tips will make your home stand out to those who love pets and those who don’t. Some of these things may seem hard at first, but the faster your home sells, the sooner Fido will have a new backyard to play in!
