Preparing Your Home for Sale with Pets

When preparing your home for sale, the way the house smells is almost as important as how it looks.  If potential buyers are hit with an unpleasant smell when they walk through your front door, they may be too turned off to go much further. At the least, the odor will have a negative impact on the perceived value of your home.  Sellers will need to identify the source and eliminate odors before the house goes on the market.

Pets in Your Home for Sale

One major odor producer in the home is a cute, cuddly, furry and beloved member of the family.  Recent statistics show over 63% of U.S. households own at least one pet, and 45% own more than one.  Americans are “pet people,” and many sellers are reluctant to discuss making changes in the household that will directly impact their pets.  That said, the most effective strategy for showing the home with pets is to eliminate any signs, either visual or olfactory, that a pet lives in the home.  For some pet owners, that may be a tall order, but reinforcing the fact that it will impact the home’s resale price is sometimes enough motivation to get them aboard with the plan.

Getting Your Home “Show Ready” with Pets

Keeping your home in show shape will definitely take extra vigilance, but here are some strategies to keep your pets, their paraphernalia, and their messes out of the sights and minds of potential buyers.

• Remove pet beds, pet dishes, food and toys from sight before each showing.  Have a plan and a place determined ahead of time.
• Before potential buyers arrive, vacuum flooring where pets hang out, and clean pet hair off furnishings, pillows and rugs.  Some pet owners swear by the sticky tape lint rollers to remove stubborn pet hair from soft surfaces.  Others suggest swiping a damp rubber glove over soft surfaces to draw the hair into easy-to-remove clumps.
• Pet stores sell specialty products that are effective for removing pet hair.  Try a “pet rake ” and a “pet sponge” to speed the process.
• Take your pet(s) with you when you leave your home before a showing.  Remember, there are potential buyers that aren’t “pet people,” and your pets may make them anxious or send them into sneezing fits if they are allergic.  Potential buyers that are pet lovers may be distracted by your pet and show more interest in it than in evaluating your home.  Closing Spot or Fluffy in a room in your home will essentially make that room off limits to buyers - not a good thing when you want to show off your home’s usable space.
• To make it easier and faster to get out of the house quickly with pets in tow, keep the pet carrier in an easy-to-reach spot, and make your pet a to-go bag with a soft towel or blanket, pet leash, water dish, bottled water, pet treats and a favorite toy.
• If you keep exotic pets, turtles, snakes, other reptiles, birds or fish as pets, it would be best to move them and their habitats out of your home altogether while it is on the market.  Try to find a family member, friend or supportive neighbor who would be willing to provide a temporary home.

Eliminating Pet Stains and Odors

The best way to prevent pet odors from permeating your home is to keep your pets and their habitats as clean as possible.  Regular bathing and grooming and daily brushing will minimize the amount of pet hair, dander and odor-causing bacteria that transfer from your pet to the carpet, upholstery and fabrics that tend to retain odors within your home. 

No matter how careful you are, we all know pets have accidents and get sick occasionally.  If this happens after you’ve already had your carpets cleaned to prepare your home for sale, you should know how to treat the spot to remove the stains and the odor.

Treating a Pet Stain

To treat a pet urine stain on carpeting or upholstery follow these steps:

1. Begin by blotting the spot with paper towels until most of the moisture is removed. 
2. With a clean white rag dampened with water, dab the spot working from the outside of the stain to the center to dilute the stain. 
3. Mix a solution of about 1/4 teaspoon of mild laundry detergent (without bleach) into a cup of warm water. 
4. Using a clean white rag, continue to blot the stain with the cleaning solution until the stain has transferred to the rag. 

To remove pet feces from the carpet, follow these steps:

1. Use a plastic glove or poop scoop to eliminate the solids
2. Repeat steps 2-4 from above

Neutralizing the Odor

Even when the stain is gone, a pet may continually return to the same spot and mess if the odor is not effectively neutralized.  To treat the pet odor, mix a 2:1 solution - 2 parts water to 1 part white vinegar.  Using a clean, white rag dampened with the vinegar solution, dab the spot until thoroughly moistened.  Use a clean, dry rag to blot excess solution, then let dry.

Treating Stubborn Pet Stains

To treat old or stubborn pet stains, there are several enzyme-based products on the market that ingest the odor-causing bacteria left in the carpet.  You can purchase products like Nature’s Miracle, Bio-Aid, and Pet Odor Neutralizer at retail or pet stores, or through your veterinarian.  These products work slowly but effectively, so make sure you follow the instructions for that product.

The Litter Box

If you haven’t recently dumped out the litter and thoroughly cleaned the litter box, do it now, and add it to the chores you do weekly.  Use a liquid peroxide cleaner, or a natural orange-oil cleaner to scrub the box inside and out.  Dry it out.  Before you fill it with clean litter, use a light spray of vegetable-based cooking oil on the inside and then, dust it lightly with baking soda.  This step will prevent sticking and make it easier to clean the next time.  Use a brand of kitty litter with good odor control - Litter Pearls is one brand that I’ve heard recommended several times.  Whatever brand of kitty litter you choose, be diligent about cleaning out the box.  If possible, move the litter box to a location off the beaten path in your home, like the laundry room.  Or consider adding a pet flap to your interior garage door and moving the litter box to the garage while your home is on the market.

In order to get the highest potential price for your home, everyone who lives in it will have to make some adjustments in their everyday routines - including your pets.  Preparing your home for sale with pets will take a little extra work on your part to keep pet messes at bay.  And with a little extra TLC and attention to make up for the minor disruption, your pets should make it through the transition from old home to new home just fine.

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