Not every buyer will feel the same as you do about your beloved pet.
OnTheMarket agent Aberdein Considine offers top tips on how to ensure potential buyers are not put off by the negatives which sometimes come with owning a pet.
Minimise the negatives
1. Remember to repair any damage caused by pets, including carpets, hardwood flooring, walls, furniture and outdoor areas. Your home is not ready for viewings until these issues are addressed.
2. Remove pet stains and odours by having carpets and floors professionally cleaned.
3. Tidy up the garden, especially if you have a dog that spends a lot of time outside.
4. Relocate your pet during viewings unless it is a dog or a cat and exceptionally well-behaved. Remember that if your pet is a snake or a lizard, it may potentially scare a buyer.
5. Clean, clean, clean. It cannot be emphasised enough! The property must be thoroughly cleaned and vacuumed before each viewing. Potential buyers could have allergies, or there could be lingering smells you haven’t noticed because you have lived with them for so long. Smell can have a powerful effect on us and you don’t want to lose a sale simply because the odour in your home left a buyer feeling negative.
6. Remove litter boxes, food and water bowls, and pet toys while viewers are looking around.
Maximise the positives
7. Pets can help make an otherwise sterile home feel cosy. Positioning a picture of a cute and well-behaved pet in a photo will help make a space feel more liveable. If strategically placed, the picture pet might even draw attention to a home’s best feature such as a fireplace or window.
8. If your pet is exceptionally well-behaved it may boost the perception of your home during a viewing. But the pet must stay calm and you should limit it to just one pet at home during viewings.
9. Dogs and cats are the only animals you should consider leaving in the home while viewings take place.
