It all depends on which statistics you read, Home Staging for Dummies claims claims that about half of the potential buyers that tour your home will be pet lovers.  Some other home staging books, have said up to 60% of home buyers have an aversion to pets due to simple dislike or a health reason. 

In other words, your beloved pet(s) could be turning off up to 50%-60% of the potential home buyer traffic that is filtering through your home.  In my opinion, these numbers are pretty high and really need to be considered BEFORE you place your home on the market for sale. To make this post easier, I will only focus on dogs (my favorite pet) but the advice is also good for cat owners.

Here are some tips for pet owners who are selling their homes:

1.  Go out and purchase (2) large plastic containers with a lid.  It should be large enough to fit all the dogs food and food bowls inside one of them.  When there is an open house, one plastic container needs to go into the trunk of your car with the dog items mentioned here.  Please do not leave your dog's food bowls out during an open house, a half eaten dog food bowl does not scream sparkling clean home.

2.   Replace the dog beds.  Throw out the old beds and buy new ones at Walmart for $20.  These beds also need to be placed away during the open house inside the second plastic container.  This container needs to be stored out of the way.  Dog beds need to be washed every week when your home is on the market, this item is a real source of pet odor.

3.  The outside yard needs to be cleared of dog toys and leashes.  If you have an external dog house, please make sure it is in excellent shape.  If it looks horrible and is falling down, please get rid of it.  You do not want to send a message to a potential buyer that you did not care enough for your beloved pet, they may start to think about what else is not done or attended to in your home.

4.  Use PureAyre Odor Eliminator.  This is an all natural odor eliminator that can be purchased at Petco and will not harm your pets or children.  This product should be sprayed on any cloth fabric or carpets to remove the pet odors prior to the open house.

5.  Invest in an Air Purifier.  This will also keep the inside air in your home smelling clean while your home is on the market.

6.  Bath your dog more often (if possible).  This may also cut down on the pet smell in your home.

7.  Invest is a good vacuum with a hepaa filter that is able to pick up all the dog hair.  Please make sure you vacuum before every open house.  It is especially important that there is no pet hair on furniture, flooring, stairs, or carpets.

8.  If the weather permits, air out your home before an open house.  Fresh air blowing through a home always makes a home smell fantastic.

9.   Have a friend or neighbor perform a house check for pet odor and pet identification items after you complete this list.  Another set of eyes is always an excellent idea.

Good Luck with your home sale.

-Kate

Kate's Home Staging and Redesign now sells semi-custom window coverings at discount prices. Our window coverings include roman shades, Levolor and Dynasty blinds, faux wood blinds, bamboo blinds, woven wood blinds, cornices, valances, sheers, and drapes. Our roman shades can be ordered in 100% pure silk, linen, cotton, or designer fabric. We also offer Benjamin Moore color consultations and test color boards, interior decorating, home staging, and redesign. Please visit http://www.kateshomestaging.com for more info or call 845-538-3623. All window covering appointments include a free 30 minute design consultation for the same room. We serve Passaic County and Bergen County of New Jersey and Rockland County and Orange County of New York, basically the lower Hudson Valley. We are an affiliate member of the Passaic County of Realtors, a member of RESA, ASHSR.