You consider your dog a member of the family. Your cat brings you endless joy. Your parakeet’s morning chirps are music to your ears. If you feel this way about your pets, you may assume everyone else does as well. While the pet ownership rate in the United States is at 67% of homes, just because a potential buyer has pets themselves, doesn’t mean they will be crazy about yours. As for those who do not have or care for pets, seeing evidence of them in your home’s listing could make them less likely to consider your home. Here are some of the reasons why your furry friends could throw off your home selling plans.
Allergies
Many people who do not own pets have made this choice because they are allergic, sometimes severely. And when someone is allergic to something, they are often hyper-sensitive about avoiding their allergy trigger. Someone who feels this way may refuse to view your home if they see a pet, or evidence of a pet in your listing photos. Before having photography done, make sure any pets are secured in other areas. Stash away food bowls, bedding, toys and litter boxes. You’ve likely already done this as part of decluttering and staging, but even the most tasteful and decorative dog bed or cat tree will be a turn off to some potential buyers.
Suspicious Smells
You bathe your dog regularly, religiously clean the litter boxes and replace the bedding in your children’s hamster cage. So of course you assume your pets smell amazing, or don’t smell at all. The truth is, every animal still has a bit of a smell and you are likely just accustomed to it and unable to detect it until it is bad. Someone with a dislike of pets will have a much keener nose when it comes to the smells in your home, and they will likely imagine the smell before even encountering it if they see the evidence of pets in your home immediately upon viewing pictures, or entering for an open house.
This is just another reason to make sure all of your pets’ belongings are stowed well out of the way before pictures are taken of your home. If you can capture someone’s attention and get them to come view your home, they may be able to overlook their dislike of pets if everything else they see is pleasing. Just remember to freshen your home as much as possible before showings, including a thorough deep cleaning before your listing goes live, with a steaming of carpets and drapes, and by regularly using subtle but pleasant air fresheners and candles.
Stains and Damage
You may know that the source of a stain on your couch is actually an overturned glass of wine, and that the rip at the bottom of the bedroom drapes have nothing to do with your feline friend. However, if a dog bed or scratching post are also viewable in your listing, buyers may assume any damage they see was caused by pets, and they will wonder what else may have happened to parts of your home. Could there be hidden spots where carpets have been saturated with puppy pee? They will start to wonder.
Before ushering in the photographer, make sure that no stains or damage are apparent on things like furniture and window treatments. Should you purchase new furniture simply for this reason? Certainly not, but you can ask for specific angles in the shots so that certain items are not visible, or use pillows and other fixtures to cover the damage.
When Pets are a Plus
There are of course exceptions to every rule. In certain circumstances, leaving evidence of your pets in your listing could serve you well with potential buyers. If you are selling a condo in a pet friendly development, showcasing your ability to own pets may make your listing stand out from others in buildings where furry friends are unwelcome. Just make sure your photos are still attractive. A hand painted water dish or a designer dog bed that matches your own bedding are more eye catching than ripped up chew toys and threadbare scratching posts.