You have decided to move to a new house and put this one for sale. Selling a house is a serious job but if you are a pet owner, this job becomes even tougher. Whether it is about a cat, a dog or other animal, they always leave a trace. This is because pets might cause some damage to your furniture and other household items. And one of the most common turn-offs for a customer is the odor. You probably get used to it over time and stop noticing it. But as soon as your buyer walks in, the smell lingers even you cleaned the place, and they can still smell it. It will give an impression to a customer that your house is not clean, which can affect the final price. But, there are ways to make sure you remove all the “evidence” that you had a pet in the first place and make your house appealing to potential buyers.
Get rid of the odor
Most importantly, get rid of the smell and pet odor. Animals have a strong smell and if they urinate on the carpet, the smell can be unbearable. Getting rid of such odor and stains is challenging but you must clean thoroughly to make it disappear. If you can still feel the smell after you have cleaned every corner of the house, consider hiring a professional cleaner. It will cost you money but the final result is worth it. They have an experience and all necessary tools to clean every nook and crane of your house and make it speckles, and most importantly, pet odor free. In that regard, a junk removal may also be a good idea – it’s possible there are a lot of old accessories of your pet you no longer use.
Fix the damage on the household items
Marks of scratches are common if you own a pet. But, just like with odors, you become used to these damages on the doors, couches and other items, and you don’t even notice them anymore. But, your potential buyer will as soon they walk inside the house. Therefore, walk around each room and look for claw marks. Make sure you repair and repaint everything you have found inside the house, because if you don’t, the value of your house goes down.
Check the exterior of the house
Just like with the inside, check for pet traces and damages outside of the house. If there are holes you dog loved to dig, make sure you fill them. If there are any pet feces, make sure you pick it up correctly and properly dispose of it. Also, look for any sign of the damage and focus on repairing it. Additionally, check again if all the potty pads, food bowls, toys and other pet supplies are out of view.
Moving away and selling your home is stressful and painful. Even your pet can sense the change and might have hard time to adjust. Make sure you look after your pet and do everything you can to help them feel loved. But also note that some people do not prefer having pets inside the house. Therefore, follow above mentioned tips to make your house attractive to potential buyers.