The Pet Parents’ Home Sellers Guide

Selling your home when you’re a pet parent is a little different from selling your home when you have no pets. It’s a fact of life, like showing a home when you have no kids vs. having toddlers. It doesn’t have to be a nightmare though! A 2016 study showed that 61% of households either have or plan to have pets so leverage your experience as a pet parent and show off your pet customized home (doggie doors anyone?) 

Other features to emphasize are home renovations that benefit young families and pet owners, such as fenced yards or laminate flooring. Pet-centered focuses like built-in feeding stations or cat litter closets are excellent as well. They can be attractive selling points if they are clean and in good repair. All of these features can increase the value of your home. Thank you, Fido!

Be aware: Homebuyers look more carefully for any damages caused by our four-legged companions. As a pet parent yourself, would you prefer to move Spot into a nice living space or one full of stains and odors, scratches on doors and floors, and torn screens? A 2016 study says homebuyers prefer places that offer safety and comfort to their pets. 

So, to ease the hearts and minds of pawrents everywhere make sure to repair any damage that your adorable fur baby may have caused before showing your home. That’s not to say that you must erase your pet from your home entirely when you put it on the market. Quite the opposite! Buyers want to imagine their own pets in your home, so a pet-friendly space without your pet may be best. You should probably remove your pet from the home during showings though. Having strangers walk through their home can be upsetting even to the most mellow pets. 

If you have a pet-friendly neighborhood that has features like nearby dog parks and excellent veterinary hospitals it can make your neighborhood even more appealing to pet parents. A home that looks and smells clean and fresh in a pet-friendly neighborhood and a few fur baby conveniences can be very attractive to the 61% of pet parents looking to buy a home.