Woof-woof, Tweet-tweet, Meow — Tips For Selling Your Home When You Have Pets

“Dog barks loudly, but will not bite.”  “Bird bites!!!!!”  “Don’t let the cat outside under any circumstances.”  These are just a few of the notes to agents that I see frequently in MLS.  I have to admit that I have questioned my sanity on more than one occasion. Imagine this scenario:  I have spoken to the seller about the family pet referenced in MLS, and received confirmation that the German shepherd that is waiting for me to stop by is really quite friendly and absolutely will not bite me.  Fast forward a few hours later — I’m standing at the front door trying to get the key to work, with my client, and all of the sudden the sweet family dog wakes up from his nap and begins barking ferociously. I pause and ask myself “WHAT am I doing?”   I do not know this dog and the dog does not know me.  He is simply doing his job—trying to scare off intruders. I reflect back on what the seller told me: “His name is Sparky, so when you get to the house, just talk to him in a calm voice and call him by name.  He’ll stop barking and eventually go back to his bed in the living room.”  I gently crack the door to whisper Sparky’s name, and realize that I really am crazy.  Sparky is ready to take me down and is not too shy to let me know this. Who do I believe the seller or Sparky?

This situation happens to Realtors on a daily basis.  As you can see, it’s quite problematic.  Choices have to be made.  Do I take a chance that the seller is telling me the truth and let myself and my client into the lion’s den, I mean house, or should we skip this house entirely? What happens if I get bitten or if my client gets attacked?  As cute as our pets are to us, they can be intimidating to visitors to our homes.  Managing our pets can be especially difficult when the home is on the market.  Typically, when a home is for sale, the sellers are not present when the home is shown.  Dogs are very territorial animals and it is only natural for them to protect the home when the seller is absent.

To maximize the level of each prospective buyer’s interest in your home, I have created a list of preferred things you might consider doing so that everyone, including the family pets, are safe while your home is for sale:

1. Remove ALL dogs from property prior to showing the home.  You can specify in MLS that you need a few hours’ notice before each showing so that you have time to remove the dog from the home.  This can be very inconvenient for the seller, especially if the seller works outside of the home, but it is the preferred thing to do so that the prospective buyer can tour the home without concern for safety. (Important note: size of dog does not equal aggressive tendencies. Even small dogs can and will attack unknown visitors to your home.);
2. Put the dog in the backyard and post signs on all doors leading into backyard that the dog is back there.  This isn’t ideal because it will keep the prospective buyer from looking in the backyard, but it will allow for the interior to be viewed safely;
3. Crate your dog during the day. Again, not the most ideal thing to do because most dogs will bark incessantly when unknown visitors are present.  Constant barking will interfere with a buyer’s ability to walk around, view and consider the possibilities of the home.  If the dog is barking the entire time, the buyer’s agent and the prospective buyer just want to cut the visit short and move on to the next home.  Do this and you may miss out on potentially interested buyers; and
4. Confine the dog to a specific room, most sellers chose the laundry room or garage, again affix a sign on the door notifying visitors that this is where the dog is.  This choice still limits the ability of the prospective buyer to see the home in its entirety.

Our family pets are wonderful additions to our families and our households.  I have pets in my own family so I do know how special they are.  However, the truth is, pets complicate things when it’s time to sell the family home.  Here are a few additional tips that will help you get your home sold if you are a pet lover:

1. Pets are smelly!  No matter what kind you have or how frequently you bathe them, they still smell.  You may not notice the smell because you love
   them so much and you are used to it. Just take my word for it.  One way you can minimize the smell is to buy a few mesh bags (think lingerie) and place
   5 to 6 briquettes of charcoal in each one and then place the bags in inconspicuous places, under the bed, under the couch, in a basket with newspapers or magazines on top;
2. Do not, I repeat do not, have a litter box in the house while your house is on the market.  If you absolutely have to, put it in the garage with a pet door for kitty, and keep it clean at all times;
3. If you have carpet stains as a result of your pets, have your carpets professionally cleaned to see if the stains will come out.  If not, replace carpet and the pad prior to putting your home on the market. There is no bigger turnoff than the sight and smell of carpet that has been soiled by pets.  It sends a message to prospective buyers that your home is not in good condition.  (Important note: There is a carpet supply company in Austin that will replace your carpet with no charge to the seller for 6 months; you can pay them at closing. However, if you make this choice, make sure your pets do not relieve themselves on your new carpet!);
4. Replace your air filters on a regular basis.  Pet smells and pet dander get filtered through your air conditioning system.  This will help control pet smells; and lastly
5. Scoop the poop.  It would not endear a buyer to your home to be walking around the backyard and then step in Fido’s poop.  Plus, on a hot summer day, the yard with the poop is going to stink, and so is your pet (see #1 above).

In conclusion, realize that not everyone is a pet lover.  You can have the best house in the neighborhood, but if it smells like a dog, your home may sit on the market longer than expected or a price adjustment(s) will need to be made.  Consider implementing these ideas into your marketing strategy so that your home will attract the most interested buyers possible and sell quickly.

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