Homeowners love their pets; some pets get treated better than children. Owners take them to doggie masseuses, spend hundreds of dollars on cat castles, and let them have the run of the house. Since they love their pets so much, sellers don’t grasp how their pet affects the home’s ability to show and inevitably sell. This can cause nightmares for Realtors trying to sell the pet-friendly home.
Selling a House with Pet Smells
Odours are a huge problem with pets. In most cases, pet owners don’t realize how bad their house stinks as they breathe the air daily and are accustomed to it. What should Realtors do? George Tsavdaris, a Realtor with Angell Hasman & Associates Realty in West Vancouver, B.C., says you have to tell the sellers. “Realtors have to be totally honest about the way the house looks and smells - it is for their own good. If they are motivated sellers, they will not be offended.” If the sellers don’t believe you, enlist the help of an unbiased nose to do a whiff test.
According to the 2006 Royal LePage Home Staging Poll conducted by Maritz Research, “53% of buyers believe strong odours such as pet and cigarette smells had a stronger impact on their impression of a home than overall tidiness and cleanliness, strong wall colours, and outdated facade/ landscaping.”
When dealing with odours, some people suggest lighting scented candles or boiling potpourri on the stove when potential buyers come by. While this isn’t a bad idea, it might be a red flag to people who are wondering what the seller is trying to cover up. It is best to eliminate the odour source completely.
Put Away Pet Toys For House Showings
Pet paraphernalia also turns off home buyers. Not only do dog beds and food bowls usually smell but having pet reminders around can irritate buyers. Even people who have pets don’t want to see pets in a house they are thinking of buying. Opening the door to the laundry room and getting hit by the stench of a litter box or the rabbit’s cage is not pleasing! Tsavdaris suggests, “All dog/cat toys, leashes, beds, etc. should be put away for all showings.”
Pet Damage in Your House
Pets can do permanent damage to a home and that needs to be addressed before putting the home up for sale. Doors may be damaged, baseboards scratched, and carpet clawed to shreds. In one home the pet urine had soaked through the carpet, ruining and moulding everything underneath. Owners don’t always realize the extent of the damage and you may need to point it out. Laura McLaren, another Realtor with Angell Hasman & Associates Realty in West Vancouver, B.C., shares a few common issues, “The permanent damage a pet can do to a home is scratch doors and entrance areas, scratch floors, stain carpets, and leave a permanent "pet smell" in the house.”
Another finding from the Royal LePage Home Staging Poll is that 63% of buyers prefer a higher priced home that does not require any renovations over a lower priced fixer-upper, so encourage sellers to repair any pet damage.
Some Buyers Dislike Animals
Many buyers have a distaste for animals, dislike hair all over the place, or have an allergy to litter box dust. It seems more people these days are sensitive to pet dander or erupt into a sneezing fit when they encounter all that fluff blowing around the house. When deciding between two similar houses, a buyer will be apt to choose the petless one – point this out to your sellers. Why would buyers deal with allergy and cleanliness issues if they didn’t have to? Pets undoubtedly affect a home’s salability.
It’s a given that urine stains and fecal matter will turn off buyers. Emphasize to sellers that it is mandatory to clean the carpets and completely rid the backyard and house of droppings. As well, a poop-check needs to be done before every showing.
Pets During House Showings
What about pets during showings or an open house? Ask your clients if they can send the pets on a vacation while you sell the house. Is there a friend or family member that will take in the critters? If no one will take Scruffy, suggest they board the pet to avoid more damage and reduce the inconvenience. Tsavardis is adamant, “Pets need to be out with the owners or they need to be at a friend’s house for all showings, no exceptions!!!”
Why not just lock the pet in a room and advise the buyers not to go in there? Bad idea! Would you want to buy a place you couldn’t completely inspect? And if the sellers insist their furry friend is harmless and can just roam around during showings, nip this idea immediately. Even the friendliest animals can get annoyed with strangers parading through their house and express themselves in hostile ways. As Laura McLaren points out, “Pets can turn potential buyers off, especially if the seller has a large dog. Some buyers might be afraid of dogs and they won't want to walk into the house or even on the property - pets should have play dates with friends while the home is being shown.”
Don’t think these issues are limited to dogs and cats. Bunnies, reptiles, and talking birds, among most others, can cause property damage and grief for potential buyers.
But pets aren’t all bad. If the sellers live in a dog-friendly neighbour, for example, you can market the home this way to the dog community. McLaren points out, “Having a pet friendly home may work for potential pet buyers when the yard is fenced in and has a nice size lawn area for the pet to be outside and safe. It also pays to have a side entrance with a mud/laundry area for washing and cleaning up the pet before entering the home.”
Ultimately, you and the pet owners have the same goal in mind – to sell the house. By working together you can find a balance between a house that shows well and a home that still needs to be lived in.
Toby Welch - Toby is a full-time freelance writer who specializes in magazine articles, online writing, e-books, and manuscript editing.
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