2 minute reads. 

Everybody except your potential home buyer likes your pet. It might be hard for you to imagine someone disliking your cat or dog but this is the hard truth. There are many reasons why someone might not like your pet such as allergies or fears, so be proactive and think about these three things if selling your house with pets.



Fears are Real
 
Triggers can happen when an individual sees the same breed of animal in your house that makes them very uncomfortable. It could be a husky that chased them as a child, a cat that scratched them or even a bird that irritates them. You need to understand that some people can be nervous around animals and to make the best first impression you want to eliminate all possibilities for a hitch. Thus, it is best to have your pets be out of the house during all showings and visits.
 
Cleanliness is Key
 
A quick turn off for potential home buyers is smelling a stinky litterbox or a seeing a fresh pet stain on the carpet. Hiding the evidence might be a quick fix but the smell is harder to remove. Have a professional deal with any pet stains and don’t try and cover odours with air fresheners as they can cause allergic reactions and are just downright gross.  
 
Your Pet Is Not Their Pet
 
If their pet barks, scratches, jumps or goes to the washroom on the floor, they are used to it. Your pet is different. Imagine how distracting it would be to have a stranger’s pet bark, scratch, jump or go pee while inside the house you are viewing. Pets are unpredictable and the way they respond to strangers is too.

The ideal situation is to remove your pets from your house while you are selling it. This could include keeping them at a friend’s, taking them to work with you every day, boarding them at a kennel or stay somewhere else and take them with you.  When people are in the house remove items associated with your pet like leashes, bowls, toys or beds. Overall, try to minimize any negativity a potential buyer may have towards you, your pet and your home. 

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JOSHUA CAMPBELL (@knowledgebrkr)
Real Estate Broker
Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Centre, Brokerage
joshua@knowledgebroker.ca
249 Avenue Road • Newmarket, ON L3Y 1N8
289.231.0001