Pet Owners – MUST READ!
Pets and Cleaning
When you’re selling your house, you must ensure that Fluffy or Fido is safely secured when potential buyers come to look at the property. If you’re holding an open house, it’s best to have pets off the premises for a few hours, if possible. There’s another factor when it comes to your furry friends. You want to ensure that even if they’re hidden away, their presence isn’t announced via odors, stains or shed hair.
The Smell Test
People who live with pets may get used to the milder scents that come with living with animals. Your real estate agent can let you know whether your home passes “the smell test.” If your home does have a lingering canine, feline or other pet odor, it’s essential to remove the smell before letting prospective buyers see the house.
Professional Cleaning and Repairs
If there are pet-related stains on the carpets, have them professionally cleaned. You could end up spending a lot of time and effort using over-the-counter products that don’t eradicate the stain. If the carpet is badly stained, you should replace it with one in neutral tones, and keep your pet away from it until you move.
As for odors, ask the professionals what they recommend for masking. You don’t want anything heavy that makes it appear you’re trying to hide something. Enzymatic cleaners can keep smells at bay without producing a strong odor on their own.
If your pet has incurred some serious damage in the house, get that fixed before putting the house on the market. If it’s not a task you can handle yourself, such as replacing scratched-up drywall, hire a contractor.
Daily Vacuuming
Unless your pet is of the non-shedding variety, vacuum your house daily. Not only does vacuuming remove pet hair, but it can remove the dander that triggers allergies in susceptible people. You don’t want someone with an allergy to have a bad reaction while looking at your house. If you don’t have a vacuum cleaner designed specifically for pet hair cleanup, invest in one.
Rearrange the Facilities
If you have cats, move the litter boxes to the most inconspicuous place possible. Switch to a covered litter box unless your cat doesn’t like them and keep the litter box scrupulously clean. Use charcoal additives or other litterbox deodorizers available at pet stores and online.
If you have a dog, you’re certainly picking up after your pet when he defecates in the yard. If your dog relieves himself on piddle pads, that’s another issue. If you can’t retrain your dog to go outside, place the pads adjacent to the back door and make sure they are gone if you have a showing scheduled.
Pet Grooming
How do you minimize odors when the selling process may take a while? If you own a pet that is especially smelly – which occurs more often in certain breeds and in older animals – it’s important to have the pet groomed regularly. You may also want to take your pet to the vet and find out whether there are any skin or other health issues contributing to odor or excessive shedding. A change in diet, along with vet-recommended supplements, may eliminate many odors and cut back on shedding.
Avoid the Run of the House
Try to keep your pet confined to certain parts of the house while your property is on the market, rather than letting the animal have the run of the house whether or not you are home. Much depend upon the configuration of your house and the individual pet but keeping the animal in an area of the house that is more easily cleaned, such as the kitchen, lowers the risk of pet odors emanating throughout the home. It also makes vacuuming up after stray pet hair much easier.
Contact Us
If you’re looking to buy or sell a home or find a rental property, you need a knowledgeable, experienced realtor. Contact Island Realty Group LLC at 808-689-7407 or IslandRealtyGroup@irghi.com.
