For some while it was thought pets made your home harder to sell, but given the right staging and preparation, they can actually help your home sell.
While bad pet signs like pet damage, smells and those left-over hairs can make your home more difficult to sell, it must be remembered that more than 50% of homes have some sort of pet, so if done correctly a pet-friendly home can actually help your home sale.
It’s all about showcasing the positive and hiding the negative. Here are some tips:
Tips on Staging a Pet-Friendly Home
Frontyard
First impressions are important, and when it comes to pets this means ensuring that there are no unwanted signs of pets in the front yard, I.e. make sure there is no poo, wither from your pet or the neighbors.
Entryway
This is a good place to advertise a positive pet sign, if you have a coat stand then you can hang an attractive leash. Note the word attractive, it may actually be worth spending the money and buying a new one if needed.
Kitchen
Often this is the place where the cat/dog food and water bowls reside. Ensure they are out of the way not somewhere someone can trip over them and that they look nice with no mess.
Living Room
A common Realtor tip is to put away those family photos, no one wants to see your family’s pictures. But this is not true when it comes to pets, while you should not go mad, a well-placed photo of your pet (if they are cute) can be a positive.
Dog / Cat Beds
A well placed nice looking clean cat/dog bed can also be a positive, maybe at the foot of your bed, or tucked away in a quiet corner.
Backyard
Backyards should be attractive and free of pet waste (poop and dead spots). A fully fenced yard is a positive for pet owners, it keeps their pet contained and is one less thing they would have to do. If you have a dog house or other pet structure in the yard then this should be well maintained and look nice, it might also be worth applying a coat of fresh paint.
This idea is to create an area attractive to both humans and pets.