Home Selling Tips for Pet Owners

Selling a home is cited as one of life's most stressful events. But often overlooked, is the stress a move can cause pets. Are you ready to list property and live in Central Iowa? Hunziker & Associates can help—contact us to get started today. Also, if you’re a pet owner and looking for some helpful tips on selling your home, see below.

Home Staging

When you select an experienced realtor, focus on their ability to help you prepare your home before it is placed on the market. This should include pet-related staging. Keep in mind, you will need to do the following:

• Regularly clean litter boxes and pet waste—inside AND outside. This will ensure buyers have a perception of cleanliness and maintenance regarding your property.
• Treat pet smells. Ask friends or family to inspect your home for smells to which you might have become accustomed to.
• Repair pet damage to doors, walls, carpets, hardwood floors, grass and anywhere your home has been aesthetically marginalized.

Home Showings

Consider where you feel comfortable keeping your pets during showings. Should you place your pets in a kennel, pet hotel, or with friends? Is it better to move them from your home until it’s sold or just during showings? If only during showings, ask for a one-hour minimum advance notice. Ask your agent what other home sellers have creatively done to pet stage their home.

If your pet will be home during a showing, be sure it is in a secure location and not greeting buyers at the door. You cannot afford to guess who loves and who is uncomfortable with pets. When a buyer is uncomfortable, that could become your problem, meaning a lost sale!

“Pet Proportionally”

A smaller dog might not be an issue to buyers touring a larger home. Alternatively, a Great Dane greeting buyers in a relatively much smaller home may deter buyers. Therefore, you should discuss the issue of relative pet and home size with your agent.

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