Advice for Home Sellers With Pets

Real Estate Podcast with John Quinn

One of the biggest concerns of pet owners when it comes time to sell their houses is what to do with their animal companions during the process. Some homebuyers in the market don’t mind that you have a cat or dog, but there are also those who could be highly allergic to, afraid of, or just generally averse to pets. I once walked a client through a home she was interested in; once she saw the homeowner’s cat, she froze and had to be escorted from the house. You really don’t want to lose out on a sale because a buyer is afraid to go into your house! “If you have exotic pets like snakes or birds, it might be best to move them out of the house during the showing phase of your home sale.” I personally am a dog- and cat-lover. We have three chihuahuas, and yes, when the doorbell rings, they bark like crazy. However, when you’re showing a house, you want to make sure that your little yappers are either put up in a kennel or you can take them out of the house for the showing. We understand that sometimes it’s difficult to balance handling your pets with your busy work schedule, but if you could at the very least put your pets in a separate room with a gate, it might go a long way. A final thing to keep in mind is that just like it might be stressful for a buyer to come through your house and see your animals, it might be even more stressful for the animals to see strangers continuously wandering your home. If you have any questions about handling pets during the home selling process or about real estate in general, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to hear from you.