As a profound pet lover, this is
tough for me to write because pets, as much as everyone may love them, are not
considered a contributing factor in selling a house. They may not add value to
the property you are trying to get others to love. Think of it this way, it is
hard enough to try to get the full listing price without pets being involved.
This, by no means, should cause you
to surrender or rehome your pets. Pets are living, breathing, thinking beings
that are part of your family so just being a little more attentive or mindful
of their lives should do the trick. Here is a short list that may help you
reduce the environmental footprint that you animal(s) leave in your property.
Toys. Cats,
dogs, snakes, hamsters, etc. all have their little toys/belongings and love to
leave them at any and every possible location around your house. This may be a
feat in itself but you have to try to get their toys to be placed in a neat and
orderly pile in something that could be considered cute or aesthetically
pleasing. We all know what really happens in these situations, we all end up
doing the mad dash to find any and all toys and throw them into a closet or
under something. I suggest getting a cute basket that is NOT chewed or beaten and then throw all of their favorite toys
there.
Litter Box.
GROSS right?! Well, EVERYONE will
think so, so make it disappear for showings. At least move it or them into the
garage for the showings.
Yard. Clean
your yard. If it takes you to put on a chemical or rubberized suit with gloves
and boots, then get ‘er done! People may walk your yard to see if it is
suitable for their needs. Nothing will kill a showing faster than having a
potential buyer step in a pile of POO. Again, GROSS!
Relocate Your Animals.
AGAIN, this does not mean that you need to surrender your animals to animal
control or rehome them. This means that when YOU leave (because it is
considered good practice for the sellers to not be at a house during showings),
TAKE YOUR FUR (or without fur) BABIES with you! DO NOT LEAVE THEM THERE TO FEND
FOR THEMSELVES!
Remove Odors and Stains.
If this is a major task then you have more problems than this article will help
with. Odors are there and you may not be able to clearly understand them as
well as you should because you are used to the smells. This means that you
should light candles, spray deodorizers, etc. Walk out of your house and walk
back in about 5 minutes later. If there is any scent, then you still have
odors. If you think it smells “normal” then you should get a second opinion
RIGHT AWAY and then get a doctor’s appointment.
Pets are awesome and are part of
your family but remember, they are part of YOUR
family not part of the property for sale. I have seen a home that was for sale
by owner (FSBO) where the sellers made it a point to say that the cat will stay
with the HOME. That is NOT really an option because animals are NOT property!
Try to remember, to get top dollar for your home it needs to be as good as
possible. Animals do not add value to your property but they do add value to
your family’s wellbeing.
#RealtorRickTN
#clarksvilletnrealtor #clarksvilletnrocks
#VeteranRealtor #MindfulRealEstate #petsandsellingproperty #petsandrealestate
