Dogs are people too, right? Not when it comes to selling a house.
As hard as it may be to accept and implement, when a property is on the market all traces of your beloved pets should be out of sight. This includes the food dishes, toys, cages, pet beds, litter and yes, the pet itself.
Now before you label me anti-animal, let me assure you nothing is further from the truth. My household has included pets of all shapes and sizes for two decades. At one point, I was Zoo keeper (and Proud Mama) to a dog, five cats, two guinea pigs and numerous fish. Our menagerie has been reduced to a more manageable number of pets now … God rest all of my late pets’ souls. The majority of our charitable donations go to animal-based organizations. Most days I like animals more than people.
As a home stager, however, I know that animals pose a problem when trying to sell a property.
When homeowners live with a pet, they become immune to the scents that are left behind. Even if the cat litter is cleaned religiously, odor lingers. A dog left out in the rain can emit that certain “wet dog” smell for days afterwards. As for pocket pets such as hamsters, gerbils, and guineas … well, they just stink.
There are other issues as well. Case in point: I staged a house a couple of months ago, and when I let myself in the side door I noticed the home owner’s two geriatric dogs were confined to the kitchen by a gate. While you may think this is a reasonable solution to showing a house with dogs, I’m here to tell you it is not. Amidst their frantic barking, one of the dogs promptly piddled on the wood (!) floor. My first five minutes were spent cleaning up dog urine. Had I been a potential buyer, the tour may have ended there. At the very least, I would have scrutinized the flooring throughout the house looking for evidence of previous “accidents”.
Sometimes pets can just be pests. At another house I staged, a 7 pound Yorkie followed my every move, and came dangerously close to being stepped on a few times. I suspect other visitors to the house had the same experience, as the owner made no attempt to isolate the dog.
Then you have the homeowners that think it’s great fun to teach their birds cuss words and these birds will always choose the most inappropriate times to show off their amusing skill. In addition, birds have no aptitude for potty training. If the owners allow the birds out of the cage to spread their wings … well, you get the idea.
Personally, we had a guinea pig who embraced her “pigness” and squealed every time someone walked by. Although I thought she was adorable, she drove me nuts. I’m sure our family members were the only ones who found her adorable.
When it comes to snakes, iguanas and other slithery, slimy creatures there are two camps: those that love them and those that are totally creeped out by them. Which camp does YOUR potential buyer belong to?
Someone with allergies to pet dander may find touring a pet-occupied house quite uncomfortable. I wouldn’t count on them making an offer.
There are lots of other issues with pets: barking, nipping, inappropriate sniffing, furballs, using the sofa as a scratching post, sneaking out the door while visitors are entering, as well as a visitor’s fear of animals.
So, as much as we love our pets and consider them part of the family, the best thing to do while showing a house for sale is to remove them. Find a good friend or family member to care for them while the house is on the market. Many doggy day cares have opened in the metro Detroit area recently and may be the perfect solution. If it is not possible to find a temporary home for your furry (and slimy) friends, then at the very least, take them with you on a car ride while the house is being shown. It may be the difference between “For Sale” and “Sold”.
Go Tigers!
THANK YOU WINGS!!
________________________________________________________Written by Marianne Sweet
Home Sweet Home Staging, (586) 212-8400
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Marianne Sweet 06.25.08 at 8:03 am
Haha! Thanks Maureen! My Sadie’s a star!
Apella 06.29.08 at 3:50 pm
Maureen,
You are right on the money with this one, even though I am a huge dog lover! Thanks for the item.
Also, please let the puppy mom-n-dad know that they have one sharp looking dog!
Wine Dog 07.13.08 at 9:51 am
You nailed it. I have a friend who has a listing right now. It’s been reduced from $1.2 to now $829k. She has two pits and a mastiff. One of them has whizzed in the house and the carpets reek. She could have sold it at $1.2 if she had replaced the carpets and removed the dogs during the open house. In that price range they want it perfect. This thing is going to keep spiraling behind the market until someone figures it out. I’m a huge animal lover, but I’ve always removed the pets prior to it being shown. (at least when the agent was considerate enough to call ahead AND show up when they said they were going to)
Marianne Sweet 07.15.08 at 8:06 am
Thanks Apella! I love my Sadie to pieces. I always say she’s the only one in the house that actually listens to me! Those are all our pets in the photos above, except that the white/gray guinea pig has since gone to guinea heaven.
Gee WD……..they could have bought a whole lotta new carpet with that $371k price reduction! It really makes no sense, but I guess some people would rather take a loss than do the work. As a stager, I run in to this mind-set all the time. The problem in Michigan is that in EVERY price range, buyers want it perfect.
Burlingame Real Estate Agent 08.18.08 at 8:28 pm
First off, as mentioned, very cute dog! Secondly, Great post! Thanks for also mentioning the reptiles!!! I once showed a property that was for lease and the tenant was still in the building. Upon entering the kitchen there was an uncaged over 5 foot long creature. That was later titled a “pet water monitor”. Scariest showing on my life! Please keep those things caged and out of site!
Marianne Sweet 08.20.08 at 8:07 am
Ugh! I got the eebie-jeebies just reading that! Such a benign name. “pet water monitor”. Wonder how long it took for that house to sell?