Subscribe Feed (RSS)As a pet owner, I most certainly recognize the joy that animals can bring to the family home. But, regardless of how treasured a dog or cat may be, when a pet owner is attempting to sell a house, the animal’s presence can create unexpected difficulties.
When buyers and their agents want to visit a home, the presence of a pet can introduce problems that make it appear less appealing than similar competing homes. Here are some examples of typical situations which may come up when animals are involved.
1. If sellers want to be notified prior to a showing so that they can make arrangements for their animals, potential buyers may lower the house’s priority on their list of homes to visit. It’s simply more convenient to visit a home when there are no scheduling issues.
2. Likewise, if sellers have special instructions for dealing with pets, such as “put the dog in the backyard” or “don’t let the cat escape”, buyers could decide that it’s more convenient to view alternative properties first. In today’s extremely competitive market, anything that makes a showing less appealing could be a negative factor.
3. A noisy 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 regarding their personal safety. Even quiet dogs who are overly friendly may be stressful to potential buyers and may reduce the amount of time they spend in the home. The longer that a buyer stays in a home, the more likely they are to be considering making an offer.
4. The presence of an animal on the property can negatively have an effect on a showing. I once had a showing of a property where the sellers went out but failed to take their dog with them. Instead, the dog was left within the fenced-in backyard. The home was just right for my buyer since his hobby was woodworking and the house included a separate shop building. Unfortunately, since his wife was afraid of dogs – and the shop was located in the backyard – they never even went out to take a look at it.
5. Pets can introduce odor issues irrespective of how sanitary the home may be. Pet owners get used to these odors and might not even notice them. But, 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 smells that they notice when entering your home – then take action to eliminate them.
Naturally, not all pets are a possible obstacle to the sale of a home. An aquarium or caged birds may enhance the decor and ambiance and might even be considered to be exotic. And, of course, if you’re selling a farm or horse property, the presence of horses would definitely be a plus.
While animal lovers might not find the presence of pets to be a drawback, it is wise to do everything possible to make sure that buyers who are not “animal people” aren’t inadvertently excluded from the pool of potential buyers.
Jim Navary has been a freelance writer and researcher for over thirty five years covering a broad variety of subjects. He is also a licensed real estate salesperson in the Commonwealth of Virginia featuring Prince George VA real estate and Fort Lee VA homes for sale.
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