You probably thought all evidence of your beloved fur-kid had to be removed from your home when potential buyers turned up, either due to allergies or people just plain hating animals (which is a strange phenomenon but one that exists.) In the UK, one in two households owns a pet according to the RSPCA so chances are buyers will be entering a home with an animal inside but there ways you can use your pet to increase the chances of a sale.
While you should probably keep your pet out of the way when people are in the house, perhaps in the garden or the conservatory and give plenty of warning before they enter those spaces, you don’t need to remove all trace of them. Although it’s a good idea to get rid of any pet smells as best you can, over time you won’t be able to smell it but new people in your home will be hit instantly by the smell of a dog or cat litter.
However, pet loving property buyers will want to see evidence of your pet in your home and how they too can live there with their beloved animal. Let’s use a dog as an example; these can cause damage to your home (chewing door frames and sofas) so ensure you fix anything they’ve broken or ruined.
You should also leave a lead hanging by the doorway to indicate how you use the entry space for you and your pet. Don’t hang an old, smelly lead up though, if you use a cotton leash give it a wash or pick up an attractive new one to hang there for house viewing purposes.
Ensure the dog bed is clean, neat and in a spot that isn’t going to get in the way of those viewing the property – if needs be pick them up a brand new bed to really make a great impression. The water bowl should also be clean and full of fresh water before the guests arrive (hopefully it’s like this most of the time anyway!) but just checking this sort of thing makes a good impression on pet owners.
Framed photos of your pet will also go down well, while you might want to remove the hoards of family photos you once had dotted around the living room. For some reason, people prefer pictures of pets to people probably because they feel less personal and it’s easier to project oneself upon a room.
Most importantly, pick up any poop in the garden. Poop does not make a good impression so five minutes before your viewing begins, get outside and check everywhere that you haven’t missed anything or your dog has had a last minute bowel movement.
Use your pet correctly and you could win over those pet loving buyers in seconds, and if they aren’t animal lovers at least you’ve ensured the house doesn’t smell and everything about your pet is fresh and new to cause as little offence as possible – you might love your furry or feathered friend but not everyone does!
*This is a collaborative post*