Successful Staging Strategies

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Selling

Successful Staging Strategies That Make the Difference for Pet Owners Selling a Home

By Suzie Wilson

If you’re a pet owner, you face special challenges in selling your home.  Even though you treasure your furry family members, your pets can be deal breakers for home buyers.  However, with proper home staging, you can still receive top dollar and make a quick sale. 

 

Make your pet invisible.  The first and foremost thing to remember for pet owners selling a home is to make your pet invisible.  That means taking steps to remove all the evidence that your dog, cat, gerbil, or cockatiel lives with you.  Just because you know your pet has great house manners, seeing evidence of pets can off-putting to buyers.  Pets conjure images of chewed woodwork and housebreaking mistakes that can leave deep-down, hard-to-remove residue.  By making your pet invisible to home shoppers, you eliminate their potential concerns.

Make your home sparkle.  Any time someone is selling a home, it’s important to do a deep cleaning, but it’s especially important for pet owners.  Scrub everything and remove any buildup on countertops, floors, and cabinets, and wipe down your walls.  Vacuum lingering hairs and don’t forget the tops of your ceiling fan blades and window sills.  Also pay special attention to odors.  Carpeting and rugs can retain stains and smells, so shampoo thoroughly and work at lifting any residual scents.  Note that when you’re used to a smell you may not register it, so err on the extra clean side.  One suggestion is to ask a friend to do a “sniff test” to ensure your home is deodorized thoroughly. 

Spruce up damage.  If your pet tore up woodwork or window screens, it’s time to make repairs.  Inspect your home for chew marks, scratches, and any other damage your pet created.  This can be another case of you getting used to something, since when we live with an issue for a while, we tend to overlook it.  When your friend is doing a walk-through to check for odors, ask for input on any items you may have missed. It’s a perfect opportunity to tend to both concerns.  Some experts suggest making a list of any items you aren’t up to repairing yourself and hiring a handyman to do the work. 

Check outside.  Don’t neglect your home’s exterior.  Curb appeal is a key in selling any home, and as a pet owner, you may need to do extra work in making your home welcoming to buyers.  Check for your dog’s diggings spots, your cat’s hunting trophies, and any potty areas that need cleaning.  Any signs your pet left behind saying, “I was here,” should be removed. 

Remove your pet’s things.  Before showing your home, remove your pet’s items.  The obvious items you must remove prior to showings are things like pet beds, bowls, leashes, and cages.  You can put them right back after the showing of course, but you should pack them up and take them with you while you’re out. 

The same thing goes for your pet; it’s pretty obvious you own a pet if he remains during the showing, so make arrangements for your furry, scaly, or feathered friend to be elsewhere.  You don’t know if your pet may act up during the event, barking or otherwise, and many people are allergic to animals or afraid of them.  The Washington Post suggests boarding your pet for a few weeks with a friend to eliminate issues and reduce the work and stress of the situation.  Even if things go splendidly during home showings, you take a significant risk of losing your sale if your pet is present, so explore your options.

 A successful sale awaits!  While it’s challenging to sell a home as a pet owner, with careful home-staging strategies, you’ll be successful.  Ensure your pet is invisible by removing all evidence around your home, inside and out.  With these great tips, your home will be sold in no time!

 

selling a home - foxnews.com/real- estate/2017/09/26/home-not-sel ling-heres-10-ways-youre-turni ng-off-prospective-buyers.html
deep cleaning - cleaninginstitute .org/clean_living/cleaning_ tips_for_home_sellers.aspx
one suggestion - realestate.usnews.co m/real-estate/articles/what-ev ery-pet-owner-must-know-about- selling-a-home
experts suggest -hireahelper.com /home-staging-tips/
The Washington Post -washingtonpost.c om/realestate/pet-owners-face- unique-challenges-when-buying- and-selling-a-home/2017/10/25/ b91a29da-3fdc-11e7-8c25- 44d09ff5a4a8_story.html?utm_ term=.a340a11f5b4e
Pixabay - pixabay.com/en/black -german-shepherd-puppy-dog- lie-2978321/