When Selling a Home, Consider These Factors If You Are a Pet Owner
As a pet owner, I am fully aware of the delight that pets can bring to the family home. However, regardless of how treasured a dog or cat may be, when a pet owner is trying to market a house, the animal’s presence can produce unforeseen problems.
When buyers and their agents want to visit a home, the presence of a pet can introduce problems that make it seem less appealing than other competing properties. Here are some examples of typical things which may crop up when pets are involved.
1. If sellers would like to be notified prior to a showing so that they can make arrangements for their pets, potential buyers may lower the home’s priority on their list of properties to view. It’s just more convenient to view a home when there are no scheduling issues.
2. Similarly, if sellers have special instructions for dealing with pets, such as “put the dog in the laundry room” or “don’t let the cat escape”, buyers may decide that it’s more convenient to view different properties first. In today’s extraordinarily competitive market, anything that complicates a showing may be a negative factor.
3. A loud dog can, of course, be a potential detriment. Irrespective of how friendly the dog really may be, buyers who are not comfortable with dogs might have concerns concerning their personal safety. Even calm dogs who are overly friendly can be stressful to potential buyers and could reduce the amount of time they spend within the house. The longer that a buyer stays in a home, the more likely they are to be serious prospects.
4. The presence of an animal on the property can negatively affect a showing. I once had a showing of a home where the sellers left the house but didn’t take their dog with them. Instead, the dog was left within the fenced-in backyard. The house was perfect for my buyer as his hobby was woodworking and the home included a separate shop building. Unfortunately, since his wife was frightened of dogs – and the shop was located in the backyard – they never even went out to take a look at it.
5. Pets may introduce odor problems no matter how sanitary the home might be. Pet owners get used to these odors and might not even notice them. However, buyers who are unaccustomed to living with pets may be turned off for fear that they might never completely get rid of the offending odor. Ask your friends or your agent to give you an unbiased assessment of any odors that they notice upon entering your home – then take steps to eliminate them.
Naturally, not all animals are a possible obstacle to the sale of a property. An aquarium or caged birds may enhance the decor and ambiance and could even be considered to be exotic. And, of course, if you are selling a farm or horse property, the presence of horses would definitely be a positive factor.
While animal lovers may not realize the presence of pets to be a drawback, it is prudent to do everything possible to make sure that buyers who aren’t “animal people” are not inadvertently excluded from the pool of potential buyers.
Category: Finance
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