Home Sellers: What About Your Pets?

By Ruben Gonzalez Jr

Prudential California Realty (DBA)

Home sellers are advised to create the illusion that everything is new and fresh in their homes, but when pets are involved, it’s not always easy to keep things clean and orderly.

The simplest solution for a pet owner who is selling a home is to relocate the pet to a friend’s or family member’s home or to pet daycare while the home is on the market. Keeping a pet in the backyard, the garage or in another room that you keep locked is insufficient, and is certainly not fair to the pet.

When a pet is in a home that buyers are coming to view, it could often scare away the people from even stepping foot into the house. Many people are worried about dogs or freaked out by birds, and then allergies can also come into play if cats or other animals are inside.

Owners may think of their pets as the gentlest creatures, but when strangers come into the home to look around, who knows what the animals are thinking? A dog that barks or jumps on people is never a good thing.

If pets are left in the home, make sure to put them in a carrier and attach a note warning buyers not to disturb them. The last thing you want is somebody sticking their hand inside and getting bit or scratched.

Removing signs that you have a pet is simply smart practice. Make sure you clean the litter box daily and keep them out of sight. Also, keep all food and water dishes somewhere out of the way, or put them away after the pet eats.

Considering hiring professionals to remove all pet stains on the carpet as buyers will spot them and form unfavorable opinions about the rest of the home.

Finally, although a sleeping cat on the bed may make for a cute picture, someone seeing the shot on a website looking for a home may automatically bypass the house because they immediately picture cat smells and claw marks on the rug.

Pet owners must understand that not everyone loves animals as much as they do and that to many, pets are considered smelly, noisy and damaging to a property. Don’t let a pet be the reason you don’t sell your home.

Ruben Gonzalez can be reached at (562) 507-0754 or E-mail.

 Prudential (dba) is an independently owned and operated member of The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., a Prudential company. Equal Housing Opportunity.