There’s nothing worse than when you walk into your house and think “Oh no! What’s that smell?” Now imagine if it is the house you are looking to buy. Offensive scents and smells are surefire ways to turn off a potential homebuyer. And often we are oblivious to the smells of the most beloved members of our families…our pets. Selling your home in itself can be stressful but when you have animals it can bring it’s own set of challenges. Here are some tips to keep you, and your pets, out of the dog house!
Keep under the bed storage boxes available to gather up toys, bedding and food and water bowls for stashing during showings. Avoid throwing items in closets. People will look in your closets but most likely will not look under your bed.
Use citrus scented home cleaners and regularly wipe down windows and windowsills or anywhere your pooch likes to look out and rest his head. Chances are, your dog’s breath stinks. So keep in mind anything he drools on probably stinks too.
Vacuum. Every. Day. I know it sounds tedious but you never know when your next showing will be. I have owned some pretty large and furry dogs (and cats) and I swear by the Bissell Cordless Pet Hair Eraser. It is great at grabbing pet hair off upholstery and is so lightweight you have no excuse not to use it daily, especially in areas where your pets like to hang out.
Tend to liter boxes at least once, if not twice a day. Place a small mat under the box to help keep the liter from being tracked away. Try to keep the box in the area of your home where people will spend the least amount of time. So your master bath- not a good idea. I personally have mine in my basement with a kitty door for them to come up and down.
Avoid placing plug-in air fresheners through out the home to mask smells. I just screams “Hey, I know my house smells too!” Placing a lightly scented candle or bowl of potpourri will sometimes do the same trick but in a lea obvious way.
When at all possible, take your furry friends with you when you have an open house or showing. This is imperative if they are aggressive or if they would take any chance they could to escape. I once left my dog crated when I had opened up my house for a service call. The technician later called to tell me he was done- and that he let my dog out of her crate because she looked “sad”. I arrived to find that my beautiful 125 lb. Great Pyrenees had gone into my daughter’s room and chewed up every Barbie doll and accessory in the place- including all the furniture in Barbie’s beautifully appointed townhouse! My point being, don’t assume everyone is going to take care that your animal doesn’t get out.
Our pets are such a huge part of our family and our lives. However, it’s important to keep in mind that unfortunately not all people feel the same way. I hope you found these tips helpful. Be sure to come back for more tips on everything from preparing your house for the market, design ideas for your new home and tips and tricks I use to make the homes I work in look their best. And feel free to drop us a line anytime to let us know what you think.
