Having pets when you're trying to sell your home really does complicate things a tad. As much as we all love Boomer and Fluffy, the reality is pets have a tendency to make homes smell and buyers don't want to purchase smelly homes. I'm a dog lover through and through, but even when I was buying a home, I wanted it to be spotless and smell good. So it's a definite advantage to try and minimize the drawback that pets bring to selling a home. One solution is to relocate them.
A few years ago, I sold my home in Tomball and moved back to Pearland. I had two Collies at that time. Collies are a pretty big breed and oh my gosh do they shed, a lot. Mine use to remind me of Pig Pen, as a cloud of hair would trail behind them as they moved around the house. It was fairly impossible to keep the house Collie-hair free entirely, no matter how much I cleaned. I knew I'd drive myself nuts, trying to keep the house buyer friendly with the Collies there. So after I finished all my de-cluttering, staging and initial cleaning, I sent both dogs off to stay with my Mom for a couple of days, ahead of me. I stayed and did a deep clean of my house, making sure there wasn't a speck of dirt or any sign that dogs had ever lived in my house. Then I too moved to my Mom's so my house could stay immaculate. This also eliminates any worry about interaction between your pets and potential buyers. A barky Collie doesn't really translate to "buy me" for buyers. If you can find a friend or family member to take your pets in while you sell, this really is the way to go.
That solution of course isn't going to work for everybody. If you occupy your home while you're selling, you'll need to figure out how to keep it as clean as possible. Maybe keeping the dogs or cats to one room of the house. You too, for that matter. Then when you get the call your home's about to be shown, you only have one room to tidy up real quick. Also, unless your dog or cat are so well behaved that buyers won't even notice them, you should vacate your home with them while prospective buyers are touring your property. Have crates and leashes at the ready and a destination in mind, to be ready at a moment's notice.
Here's some quick tips for minimizing your pets presence:
1. Have your carpet and underlay replaced or professionally cleaned. Steam clean your furniture and drapes too.
2. Scrub your flooring, especially the grout lines in your tile. You want it sparkling and no signs of doggy drool or muddy paw prints.
3. Paint, because over time odors will cling to your walls. Painting will not only freshen up your walls from any dirt, but will help eliminate odors too.
4. Replace air filters and clean duct work if you can. Odors and pet hair can be trapped in these places and be spread throughout your home.
5. Put away pet bowls, kitty litter, scratch posts, toys, etc.
6. Fix anything that's been chewed or scratched.
7. Stay on top of poop scooping in the backyard.
It's a huge amount of work getting your house ready to sell, but trust me all your hard work and planning will be worth it. My house sold after only 2 days on the market during the recession of 2009. Put in that upfront work and you'll be happy you did when that "Sold" sign goes up in your front lawn at warp speed.
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