Back HomeListing a home with pets: Three things to remember
Home to pet-friendly parks, restaurants, hotels, and communities, it’s no secret that the residents of College Station, TX love their pets. However, not everyone would be comfortable with your furry companions, including potential buyers.
If you’re planning to put up your College Station real estate for sale, avoid letting scratched doorframes or messy yards ruin showings and devalue your home during the selling process. Here are three important tips for selling your home with pets.
Remove as much pet-evidence as possible
As pet owners, it’s hard not to show off the latest cute photo of your pooch or the fancy cat condominium you built for your feline. But this could dissuade potential buyers from fully envisioning themselves living in your home. When preparing your home for sale, make sure to:
- Declutter
- Deodorize
Decluttering is the first step in any home-selling process. If you have pets, store away any pet-related items during staging and showings such as litter boxes, chew toys, crates, scratching posts, dog beds, and cages. When taking professional photos of your home for the listing, ensure that the photos don’t include any pet accessories or memorabilia.
Getting accustomed to common smells and odors is part and parcel of living with pets. Although this might not bother you, it may be overwhelming to some potential buyers who are not used to living with animals. Fabrics, rugs, and upholstery tend to absorb and emit these kinds of odors, so make sure to spray them with high-quality pet odor neutralizers or enzyme cleaners.
If you want to go the extra mile, consider having your textiles professionally cleaned. You can also install air purifiers or clean any air filters you’ve been using in your home. For showings, you can light a scented candle with a mild fragrance.
Deep-clean
Deep-cleaning your home before the sale is another must, regardless if you have pets. Floors, walls, upholstery, shelving, baseboards also suffer from dirt build-up and the usual wear-and-tear over time. Even if your home is a resale, you still want to let buyers know it was well taken care of. And if you do have pets, deep-cleaning will also help you eliminate any lingering odor.
Hiring a professional housecleaning service is a worthwhile investment, especially if you have pets. They will know how to meticulously clean the most important parts of your home, as well as remove any traces of a pet or two that used to live there.
Make the necessary repairs and improvements
First impressions last, and the same goes for your College Station home. Curb appeal has a drastic effect not only on a potential buyer’s interest, but also on the market value of your home.
When we live with pets, however, some lawn or garden damage is to be expected. These can range from holes where your dog might’ve buried a favorite toy or scratches and bite marks along fences. It’s important to clean up and address all these damages to your home’s exterior.
Of course, our pets can also wreak havoc on the inside of our home. Make sure to repair any glaring, pet-related incidents, such as scratches and claw marks on wooden door frames, furniture, and floors. Adding a little putty and paint can go a long way, while walnut or coconut oil can buff out scratches on wooden surfaces. Cover or replace any shredded fabrics or upholstery as well. For extensive damages, however, it pays to hire a professional.
Think of your pet’s well-being
The home-selling process can be stressful for everyone at home, and that includes our non-human family members. Your pets may feel distressed by all the changes and events going on in your home as you prepare for showings.
If you have cats or dogs, plan and ensure that they can stay in a safe environment during this time. You can have them stay at a pet boarding kennel or a willing friend. A crate with plenty of food, water, and their favorite toys will suffice if you can’t make other arrangements. To lessen your pet’s anxiety, take them out for walks during showings.
Here’s a list of pet boarding and resorts in College Station, TX that you can check out with your pets:
- Bluebonnet Pet Ranch
- Aggieland Animal Health Center & Pet Resort
- Steep Hollow Pet Lodge
- Waggie Pet Zone
- Fetch Pet Care of Aggieland
- Close Quarters Pet Resort
Your beloved pets aren’t the only ones who can benefit from a smooth and stress-free home-selling experience. Let the skills and resources of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Caliber Realty work for you. Call now at 979.694.8844 or send an email to sales(at)bhhscaliber(dotted)com.
