Selling your Markham home is never a fun process – what with the staging, the packing and the showings. It can be even more treacherous when you have pets. Pets can really get in the way in a number of ways when you are selling your home, including:
· Distracting buyers
· Causing those with phobias not to enter the home
· Causing those with pet aversions to not consider the home
· Causing you more cleaning of hair, feces and that lovely pet smell
· Causing buyers to remember your home because of your pet only
Here are some ways you can sell your home when you live in a zoo.
1. Get the pet out of there
If you want to sell your home quickly, consider having someone take care of your pet while it is for sale. The unfortunate part of this situation is that you truly have no idea how long this can be and it can be a lot to ask, whether you’ve got a family member caring for Fluffy or if you are paying for a kennel. Start by having the pet gone for the first week of showings if you can, which is when you may make the biggest impression. If no one can watch your pets, just be sure they aren’t in the house when buyers walk through.
2. Clean like you’ve never cleaned before
Pet hair can be a huge turnoff, especially for home buyers who don’t have their own pets. You want to vacuum at least once a day when you have active showings and get rid of or wash all bedding and blankets that your pet has contact with. This will include cleaning up pet feces regularly, so the tell-tale signs of your pet’s washroom habits are not visible.
3. Hide or remove all of your pet’s things
The trick is to try to make buyers believe pets have not lived in your home. So, having a litter box set out where buyers can repulse over it is not a great idea. Either hide or remove your pet’s belongings during the selling phase of your home. This includes beds, crates, litter boxes, toys, leashes and more.
4. Do not lock up your pet and leave them in the home
Many people feel it is cruel to put your animal in a crate (or even worse, a locked room in the house) while a showing is going on. The animal won’t be able to check out the strangers in their home and may bark, whine, meow or even hiss or growl. This definitely leaves your buyers with a poor first impression of your home. Take your pet with you, no matter what.
5. Do not leave your pet outside either
Similarly, you don’t want to lock your pet in the backyard during the showing as the buyers may be interested in seeing what’s out there and feel they can’t. Your yard is an important selling feature of your home and by having restricted access to it, you may even miss out on getting a sale.
There’s nothing wrong with living in a zoo, but potential buyers may not feel the same way. Do what you can to make them believe your home is pet-free and you’ll see offers happening in no time. Let me know if you need any help (pet sitting not included).
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