It is best not to
bark and not to meow when trying to sell your home
By Larry Stoller
We all love our pets, and most everyone loves pets, but the buyers for our home
may not. Having potential buyers look at houses when pets are present in the
home is a usually a big no-no.
If you want to get the highest price for your home, don’t let your dog or cat
bother your home-buyer prospects. As lovable and well-behaved as your pets are to you, they can be very
inhospitable to strangers.
The best thing that you can do is to remove your pets while the house is being
shown. Let them stay with a friend or relative or bring them to pet day care.
If this is not an option, take your dog or cat for a walk or a drive when the
house is being shown.
It is also important to minimize all negativity that buyers may associate with
your pets when viewing your home, even if they don’t see them.
If you have pet stains on the carpet or floors, get rid of them. If you can’t
get the stains out, consider replacing the floor covering.
Cat litter boxes, dog’s potty, cat trees and pet toys should
be well-organized or kept out of sight.
Pet odors and smells must be non-existent. Don’t trust your own nose, have a
friend do a whiff test. It makes good sense to remove or mitigate all or most
signs of your pet.
Remove pet photos, doggie doors, food and water bowls, dog or cat hair (vacuum
very frequently), cages, carriers, etc. First impressions are so very
important, so don’t risk turning off an interested buyer.
I have sold a number of homes with pets, and in some cases,
the homes were kept so nice, well-organized and clean that some of my remarks
above did not really need to be followed.
On a personal note, my wife and I have a very lovable 52 pound standard
poodle. Her name is Cherie, and if we ever decided to sell our home, all three
of us would probably go on a nice vacation – together!
Larry Stoller is a Broker-Owner and Realtor with Real Estate FIVE
of the Low Country. Larry@RealEstateFive.com, www.RealEstateFive.com