Owning a pet is a wonderful thing. They are our furry friends, but sometimes they can be a headache when it comes to selling your home.
It’s hard to find someone willing to buy a home that once housed pets. But with these tips, you can make your house more appealing to potential buyers. Here are some things to keep in mind before you put your home up for sale.
Keep Your Home Clean
It’s much easier for potential buyers to see a home without pets, so make sure to keep your home and yard clean and clear so that potential buyers can see the home as-is. If the house is clean and clear, it can be sold for more money than a home that leaves pets’ indications, such as their hair and their smell. So, before a showing or an open house, make sure to relocate your pets, so they aren’t there when people come to see the home. You may even want to temporarily relocate your pets ahead of time so you can have ample time to clean up after them.
Remove All Pet Hair
The typical rule of thumb is to remove all pet hair. You can start with investing in an air purifier that will help to keep pet hair and dander from being airborne. Then, you can dust off all surfaces, vacuum and dust your furniture, and do an extensive vacuuming job to ensure that all the pet hair is eliminated. When you’re doing this cleaning step, it would be a good idea to keep your pets outside or at a separate location to ensure they won’t continue to shed over the spots you just cleaned.
Remove Any Pet Odors
Pet odors can get stuck in many places like your furniture, carpet, and almost any other surface in your home. And while you may have become tolerant of the pet odor, it will be very unappealing to future homebuyers. So here are a few tips you can use to get rid of the animal smell in your home:
- After you’ve removed all the pet hair and dander, have your carpets professionally cleaned and mop your hardwoods or tile floors.
- Wash all your linens and your furniture (things like sheets, bedding, pillow covers, and couch cushion covers )
- Wash or dispose of your pet’s bed
- Change your homes air filters
- Spray a combination of vinegar and baking soda on cloth furniture that you cannot wash
Be Honest About Pets in Your Listing
It’s essential to be upfront when listing your home with prospective buyers. It would help if you were upfront in telling buyers that you had pets in the house, but a plus side to that is that you can market your home as pet-friendly. Make sure that you add all those pet-friendly features to your listing. Things like a big backyard, a doggie door, and a good neighborhood for walks are all things a pet owner might be looking for in a home, so make sure to highlight that!
Sell Your Home to Maximum Cash Home Buyers
If you’re thinking of selling your home that’s also been home to pets, you might be overwhelmed with how many extra steps you might have to take to get your home ready to sell. Instead of putting in all the extra work and selling your house the traditional way, consider selling to Maximum Cash Home Buyers! We buy homes as-is with cash, so selling your Atlanta, Georgia house is a breeze when you sell it to us! Are you ready to learn more? Contact us today to get started!