How to Sell a Home When You Have Pets

We Love Our Pets

Having a pet is rewarding, provides a lot of love, and enriches the lives of our families. However, not everyone is a pet lover as we are. Many times, it is due to a past traumatic event with a misbehaved pet, or it can be medical issues such as severe allergies. Whatever the cause, a lot of people are nervous and uncomfortable around pets. This uneasiness can be compounded if the odor of a pet lingers in the home.
In the best of times, selling a home is hard work and a time-consuming process. It can also be very expensive and there always seems to be another expense that we did not expect. Then there is the inconvenience of constantly needing to leave the home, so a potential buyer can view the home, which always seems to happen at the worst time possible. For us pet owners, and especially when we have multiple pets, this is very disruptive.

For the average person shopping for a home, the concern may not be the pets but the cleanliness of the home. Let’s face it. From time to time, all pets have accidents. Unfortunately, any accident creates an odor that can persist, especially over time, or if the pet is prone to frequent accidents. We love our pets and live with them daily, so we have a tendency to become nose-blind to their odors. We also tend to dismiss or not notice some of the damage they have created, such as scratch marks and chewing.

Unfortunately, the lingering pet odor and damages may significantly reduce the value of the home by $20,000 or more (Time). These issues can also affect your ability to sell the home, even when the price is heavily discounted.

What Does a Pet Owner Need to do to Sell Their Home?

The first thing that you will need to do is eliminate any lingering pet odor and damage. Since we can be nose blind to our pet’s odors and not see the damage, it would be beneficial to request a close friend inspect the home with the goal of identifying any pet damage and odors. With your friends’ help, you can make a list of the damage that needs to be repaired and pinpoint the location of the pet odors that need to be eliminated. In many instances, the problems are minor and can be fixed easily, but be realistic because eliminating some pet odors and damage can be significant and expensive.

Here Are Some Quick Tips and Fixes

• Yard Cleaning and Repair
  A yard that is littered with dog droppings will not help you sell the home. You will need to clean up the pet droppings or engage the services of a professional pooper scooper. This is not a one-time cleaning. You will need to clean up any new droppings while the home is on the market. You will also need to repair or clean up any areas of the yard that may have been damaged by your pets.
• Replace Air Filters
  Your HVAC air filters can be an excellent and easy way to remove dust, pet dander, and any small pet hairs that become airborne.  Replacing your old air filters with new charcoal activated odor eliminating HEPA filter may help clean the air and eliminate odors.  You should also inspect and clean any of the air intake vents that may have pet hair on them.
• Clean all Fabrics
  To eliminate any odor that may be trapped in the fabric, you will need to wash any pet blankets, pet bedding, area rugs, pet toys, and window coverings.
• Clean all the Floors
  Clean all the floor using products that are specifically created to eliminate pet odors. Some of these products are truly amazing and can help eliminate lingering pet odors.
• Get the Carpets Professionally Cleaned
  When you have carpets with pet odor and stains, you will be best served by hiring a professional carpet cleaning company. An experienced professional will have products that are very effective at removing pet stains and eliminating their odor. A professional can also inform you when the carpet cannot be saved and will need to be replaced.
• Ozone Machines Can Help
  When an ozone machine is strategically placed in a home for a few days, it can be very effective in removing pet odors. These machines are so effective because they destroy the odor-containing spores and bacteria that are floating in the air.
• Get Rid of Fleas
  When pets play and run around outside, they will sooner or later come across one bug or another. Fleas are very common and if the pet has fleas, the house will get fleas. Fleas are extremely small and hard to detect until they multiply, get into, and under everything. A flea infestation can be difficult to eradicate and usually takes several treatments to completely solve the problem. This task is best left to the professionals.
• The Cat Box
  If your four-legged family member is a cat, you will need to take extra care to ensure the litter box is kept as clean as possible and stored in a discreet location.
• Fur Balls
  If your four-legged family member is of the furry variety, you will need to pay extra attention to the appearance of the floors and furniture. Furniture or flooring that is covered in pet fur will deter potential buyers from making an offer and with some people, it will cause an allergic reaction. Removing the pet fur will need to be done daily, and if feasible, shortly before a potential buyer tour the home.
• Fix the Pet Damage
  Unfortunately, some of our beloved pets will scratch, chew or damage walls, doors, furniture, and cabinets. A typical home buyer who sees pet damage will assume that there is additional pet damage that is not visible and may decide to not make an offer even though they love some of the features of the home. The best way to avoid this is to fix, replace, or remove the damaged furniture from the home.
• Not All Items can be Cleaned
  There may be some items that can’t be cleaned and need to be replaced. Some pet odors are particularly strong and no matter how hard you clean, the odor persists. Wood flooring and carpet can be two areas that retain pet odors because the pet urine has seeped between the wood boards or through the carpet to the subfloor below. If you have cleaned these items and the pet odor remains, the only remedy may be to replace the items.

You may be wondering if all of this is really necessary.

If you want to sell the home the traditional method, then yes, all of this is necessary. Based on a recent survey conducted by the Policy Expert, as many as 80% of potential home buyers will not consider buying a home if the odor of a pet is present. First impressions are everything and the last thing you want to hear the potential buyer say is “it smells like a dog in here” and immediately leaves without touring the home.

Is There an Easier and Better Way?

Many home sellers are seeking an alternative that eliminates the hassle, stress, and expense of selling a home with pets. The easier and better way is to sell the home to a home cash buyer, like OutFactors. We will buy homes for cash in any condition and take care of the hassle and expense of cleaning and repairing the home. You can sell home as-is!

Whether you have 1 four-legged family member or 10, the professionals at OutFactors will treat you and your pets with understanding, respect and compassion.

Here are some of the reasons to “Sell Home As-Is” to OutFactors:

• Immediate cash for the fair value of the home.
• Sell your house fast without adding stress to your already hectic life.
• Sell home as-is and avoid the expense and time needed to complete the repairs.
• Less disruptive for 2 and 4 legged family members.

Sell the Home for a Great Price Without the Hassle

For many Dallas Fort Worth area homeowners, making the decision to sell home fast to a home cash buyer like OutFactors is the sensible choice. We buy homes for cash and close on your schedule with minimal disruption to you and your pet’s normal daily life. At OutFactors, we are the home cash buyers that make it easy to sell home as-is. You can sell your house fast and stress-free!

If you have questions or would like additional information, we invite you to visit OutFactors.com, and if you are ready to get your fast and free cash for house offer, click here. 

We hope this article is informative and provides you with an easy and hassle-free alternative to sell a home that you may not have been aware of previously.

OutFactors
539 West Commerce Street
Suite 1205
Dallas, Texas 75208
Contact@OutFactors.com
(800) 420-7030

How Having Pets Can Affect Home Buyers | Cash for House | OutFactors — Dallas Fort Worth, Texas