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F - Pets: Remove them?

Removing pets before showings could literally make you thousands of dollars.

Animals, primarily cats and dogs, can be a huge stumbling block to selling your home. (We won’t even bother with the obvious: mice, snakes and other reptiles.) Over a period of time, owners become unaware and immune to the odors of their pets. Even if your pets truly don’t smell, it doesn’t matter. If buyers see a pet, they think they can smell it.

Cats are particularity offensive to allergy sufferers and have been known to “attack” buyers. Strong scented candles and plug-in odor emitters throughout the house are too obvious; spray-on odor killers may do the job.

Buyers are a suspicious lot and when they spot pet containers, water bowls or feeding dishes, many will convince themselves that you have a cat but that it’s hiding under some bed or has deposited some classic clues somewhere in the house.

A barking dog is incredibly distracting and makes everyone feel uncomfortable. Houses with barking dogs hold all the records for the fastest showings – and being on the market the longest.

If your homes is listed and you aren’t home during the day (weather permissible), pets could be temporarily (and comfortably) restrained, such as housing them in the garage, with an appropriate note attached to the (locked) door. 

In addition to adequate food and water, have a radio playing music in the area with your pet. This way, Cujo won’t get alarmed from hearing voices during a showing. When buyers request a second showing, make arrangements so that all areas are available to show.

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