We are a nation of pet lovers.  I love my Tilly, she is a black pedigree Cocker Spaniel.  She doesn’t bark at all, doesn’t chew, comes to the office and doesn’t bother people unless they approach, then she’ll shake her tail uncontrollably and roll over for petting.  She does, however…smell.  Sorry Tilly, (but you do!)

I’m a lover of dogs & cats and other fluffy creatures.  I’m not a lover of smells, hair, mess, dog beds, chewed toys and dirt that animals bring with them.

Buyers fall in two camps, owners of animals and those that don’t.  What you may find surprising though, is that even owners of houses with pets still smell your animals!  Although you do get used to the smell of your own dog (I still haven’t got used to mine and she’s 5) you can always smell someones else’s.

I’ve known a buyer (Thankfully he bought the house anyway) refuse to go into the master bedroom because there was a snake in the room.  (His wife was brave enough to check it out).  I’ve known severely allergic people ask before they go round houses too.

There’s loads of ways to sell your house while you have pets, so here’s my biggest tips for pet lovers who are selling.

Photographs

• You’ll need to hide all your pet products and pets too. – Don’t forget the dog food from next to the fridge and the dog treats behind the fruit bowl.
• Take Rover, Tilly, Mouse and Elephant on a walk, get them out of the house while the agent is photographing.  Then you don’t have to worry about them getting in the way.  Isn’t the cover of this post beautiful.  She came in as I finished up and was packing my stuff, she was in a grump.  It did mean that I could take pictures without trying to move her.  I’m not so sure she’d have moved she looks ever so comfortable.
• Although a camera doesn’t always pick up dirt in all the dirt in the nooks and crannies, we always suggest you clean and hoover and dust.  Black dogs and cream carpets and sofas are not a match made in heaven.
• Don’t forget the chew toy under the bed.
• One key place that people often miss is where the dog likes to press his nose against the patio doors.  Obviously admiring the birds on the bird feeder.  They jump from place to place watching and dribbling smearing their happy little noses across your sparkling glass.  Clean that glass at dog height so there’s no sign of it in your beautiful photographs.
• Check the garden and the flower beds for…doggie and kitty Presents.  oh and the odd dead mouse.  Agents get as far into the garden as possible to get the best shots (If they are not hidden in the bushes – you might want to question their dedication to the job at hand.)  Sometimes they’ll move further and further back to get just the right shot, i’m sure you’d be mortified if they stood in something unsavoury.  A quick hunt will do the trick.

Viewings

• Hide the pets beds, bowls and toys
• Air the house out, open windows and doors to let the breeze through.
• Clean floors and hoover all pet hair.  Don’t forget those tumbleweeds that roll under your furniture
• Don’t forget to clean the patio doors, it’ll let better quality of light through and those tel tale signs
• Take Fido for a walk, if you have a cat, temporarily lock the cat flap, then leave your agent a note to unlock it before they leave.  Leaving animals in with animal lovers can mean viewers get distracted.
• Fix up scratches and marks the pets have left before your first viewing to make your home feel pristine
• Use freshly laundered bedding upstairs for nice smell, especially if your animals like to sit/sleep on the beds

You should have a successful sale.

Have you mastered your pets vs viewings?  Call me – I’d love to meet them.

Until next time

Ps:  Try keeping your animals to just one or two rooms, that way there’s only two rooms to concentrate on when there’s a viewing

Pps:  Rubber gloves are very effective in removing pet hair from fabrics like sofas.

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