Nowadays, pets taking center stage in family dynamics is the norm. (And why not? They’re adorable). So, it’s more important than ever to remember pets when staging your home for sale. Pet owners need to take special steps to make sure their home is free of pet stains, pet smells, and pet hair. If you’re selling a house with pets at home, add these five tasks to staging your home for sale.
Clean the Yard or Hide the Litter Box
All it takes is one “present” to derail a positive impression. If you have a dog, clean the yard of pet deposits (your dog will thank you, too). If you use pee pads, throw them away (and take out the trash).
If you have cats, change the litter box before each showing. Go one step further and make sure it is tucked away out of view.
Always give the house and yard a once-over just to make sure there are no accidental “presents” prior to any showing.
Scrub Any Pet Stains
Pet stains not only affect the look of your carpet or furniture, but they can also smell bad. With pet stains, you can either clean the stain or replace the stained item. Decide what’s best based on the cost and sentimental value of the item.
If you’ve got wall-to-wall carpets, bring in a carpet cleaning service to deep clean pet stains, especially the ones you can’t see. If your pet has turned an area rug into a scratching post or pee zone, you’re probably better off discarding it.
For upholstery, look for enzymatic cleaners. These lift the stain and break down the enzymes to get that deep-seated pee smell out of the fabric.
If you need to clean something in an emergency and don’t have time to run to the store, a 50-50 blend of distilled white vinegar and water can work.
Eliminate Stubborn Pet Odors
Taking care of the litter box and old pet stains will remove most pet odors, but what if it still smells weird?
Throw open the windows and let fresh air pass through your home. Fresh air is naturally deodorizing.
Use the baking soda trick, where you place bowls of baking soda around your home (safely out of reach of your pets, of course). After the animal odor dissipates, use essential oils like citrus to give the home a fresh scent.
Vacuum Pet Hair
Vacuum the floors to pick up pet hair. Ideally, you should vacuum every day to keep the floors as clean as possible.
Give all of your furniture a thorough cleaning, then cover your furniture items with blankets if you’re remaining in the home. This way, you can remove the blankets any time someone’s coming to the house to reveal an immaculate chair or sofa.
Hide Pet Toys and Accessories
Just as you went through the house hiding the kids’ toys, you will need to hide the pet gear. As you did with your children, you can leave a couple of your pet’s favorite toys. If you take everything away, your pet could think they’re being punished for bad behavior.
Also, hide any pet accessories, pick up water and food dishes, and store everything out of sight.
One simple solution is to use a decorative basket that has a lid. This way, you can easily hide all the pet stuff while keeping it within your reach.
If you’ve moved out of the house and are showing it, then you can give the house a once-over for pet odors as part of the home staging process. If you’re still living in the home, this can be tricky because your pet is still around. In this case, you will need to spend extra time cleaning up before each visit. You may prefer to keep your pet in one room or crated to minimize the amount of work you’ll need to do when showing a house with pets.
It can be tough to anticipate when a showing will happen. Last minute viewings can make home staging with a pet very difficult. You make only have a 20-minute notice to tackle everything you need to do plus gather the whole family (pets, too) and get out of the house in time. If this sounds like too much, turn to HomeGo. We’ll buy your home fast and pay you cash. No need to suffer through a parade of showings. HomeGo does a 10-minute walk-though of your property then you get your cash offer on the spot. Schedule your walk-through to get started.