If you’re planning to sell your home and you have pets, here are five tips to help you navigate the process with ease.
There are a variety of opportunities in the Central Pennsylvania real estate market for both buyers and sellers.
If you're a prospective buyer click here for a full home search, or if you're considering placing your home on the market, get a free home value report, right here.
If you're a prospective buyer click here for a full home search, or if you're considering placing your home on the market, get a free home value report, right here.
Many homeowners have pets, and their animal companions definitely become part of the family. But when it’s time to put your home on the market, you need to consider that not everyone loves pets. Buyers need to be able to see themselves living in your home, and that doesn’t include your pets. Here are some things you should consider if you have pets and you need to prepare to sell your home: 1. Make repairs. Pet damage isn’t a selling point for your home. Dogs and cats at some point in their lives, no matter how well behaved they are, are going to damage something in your home, whether it be carpet, hardwood floors, walls, or grass in the yard. Repairs need to be completed prior to your home going on the market. Some repairs can be expensive but, correcting them will pay off in the form of an increased bottom line. 2. Remove pet odors. Even the biggest animal lover doesn’t want a home that smells like pets. Your furry friends’ favorite place to lay takes on their scent over time. Accidents also happen and you never want your home to be remembered as the house that smelled bad. One of the top reasons a homebuyer will pass on a home is a strong odor. Having your carpets and floors professionally cleaned will in most cases remove the odors. There are some homes that will need to replace the carpet if the odor cannot be removed.
Leaving your pet home during a showing is asking for trouble.
3. Clean up the yard. Pick up any messes that are in your yard. That’s not a surprise any buyer wants if they’re walking in your yard. Look to see if there are any spots that need new sod laid or damage repaired. Your outdoor space is a big selling point for many buyers, and because of that, you need to pay equal attention to the yard as you do to the interior of your home.
4. Erase signs that you have a pet. Your pet’s bowls, beds, toys, food, etc., will all need to be put away. Pet accessories are not staging items and look cluttered when left out for photos and showings. Aside from an aesthetics standpoint some buyers do not like pets and in turn, you want to avoid leaving signs out that you have pets in your home. If a buyer asks, you’ll need to answer honestly but, you can often avoid the question ever being asked if your pet’s belongings are put away.
5. Remove your pet for showings. If there’s one tip you take away from this post, it needs to be this one. There are far too many risks that come with a pet being left in a home for showings. Buyers and their agents are strangers to your pet, and that creates a liability for you. When pets are scared or unsure of what’s happening, they act differently. Pets can also get out during a showing, and no agent wants to be looking for your pet if they escape. Leaving your pet home during a showing is asking for trouble. If you can’t get home from work to remove them, have a neighbor keep them, or consider hiring someone to come remove them from your home before a showing starts.
I hope that I was able to share and encourage you with some key preparation you can do to prepare your home for sale if you have pets. If you are thinking about purchasing a new home this summer, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. At the Joy Daniels Real Estate Group we have a team of qualified, experienced listing partners and buyers specialists who are ready to work with you to make every real estate process a positive experience.
If you have any real estate needs or questions, feel free to give us a call today at 717-695-3177, email us at info@joydaniels.com or you can visit us online at www.joydaniels.com.
4. Erase signs that you have a pet. Your pet’s bowls, beds, toys, food, etc., will all need to be put away. Pet accessories are not staging items and look cluttered when left out for photos and showings. Aside from an aesthetics standpoint some buyers do not like pets and in turn, you want to avoid leaving signs out that you have pets in your home. If a buyer asks, you’ll need to answer honestly but, you can often avoid the question ever being asked if your pet’s belongings are put away.
5. Remove your pet for showings. If there’s one tip you take away from this post, it needs to be this one. There are far too many risks that come with a pet being left in a home for showings. Buyers and their agents are strangers to your pet, and that creates a liability for you. When pets are scared or unsure of what’s happening, they act differently. Pets can also get out during a showing, and no agent wants to be looking for your pet if they escape. Leaving your pet home during a showing is asking for trouble. If you can’t get home from work to remove them, have a neighbor keep them, or consider hiring someone to come remove them from your home before a showing starts.
I hope that I was able to share and encourage you with some key preparation you can do to prepare your home for sale if you have pets. If you are thinking about purchasing a new home this summer, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. At the Joy Daniels Real Estate Group we have a team of qualified, experienced listing partners and buyers specialists who are ready to work with you to make every real estate process a positive experience.
