Selling a Home with Pets: What Families Need to Know
Picture the scene: You’ve just shown some prospective buyers around your beautiful home, and you’re about to seal the deal. Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, your dog bolts into the room, jumps up at them, and slobbers all over them. It then grabs the papers they were about to sign, runs off, and tears them up.
Of course, this is an exaggeration and unlikely to happen, but it’s important to think of your pet and their needs when moving. After all, our homes belong to our pets as well, and they can get as attached as we do. What they don’t understand, though, is that sometimes you need to sell up and move on. If you’re a pet owner who’s thinking about selling, there are a few things you need to know.
Pets May Have a Sixth Sense
If you start inviting loads of people to your house for viewings, there’s a good chance your pet is going to get confused. Some might feel overprotective of their home or even think you’re about to abandon it. This could result in some erratic behaviour, which is the last thing you need when you’re showing potential buyers around.
It could be helpful to have a friend look after your pet while you have a showing. If it’s a dog, you can simply have them take it for a long walk. For other pets, your friend could stay with them in a different room of the house, even. Whatever you can think of to reduce their stress levels should help the situation.
Making Sure the House is Clean
One major stumbling block you may find when trying to sell a house with pets is the evidence they leave behind. There’s no denying that dwellings with pets can have a certain smell about them. Then, there may be small stains, the chewed-up fixtures, and the random scratches – not to mention the troublesome hairs that seem to multiply on their own accord.
Of course, there are other options you can consider if you don’t want to clean up all the pert evidence in your home. There are various online tools that bypass the traditional methods of selling a house and offer ’buy my house for cash‘ services, with some paying you within minutes of contacting them. You can even get the money within a week, meaning that you don’t have to go through the process of hosting different people in your house.
Get Your Pet Ready for Their New Home
Aside from ensuring everything goes smoothly when leaving your current house, you also need to make sure your pet transitions well into the new place. There are various approaches to doing this. Some pet owners prefer to show their furry friend around before the move so that they can get familiar with it.
Another option is moving all the familiar furniture first, and then introducing the pet to the new abode. It all depends on your pet’s personality, and what you think is best for them. Of course, you’re going to want to keep a lot of treats handy.
Selling your home with pets can bring a few issues, so it’s crucial that you plan accordingly. The most important thing is to try to minimise stress for your furry friends and help them transition seamlessly.
