As a pet owner, I don't need to be convinced of the delight that animals can bring to the family home. However, irrespective of how treasured a dog or cat may be, when a pet owner is trying to market a house, the pet's presence can create unanticipated problems. When buyers and their agents want to view a listing, the presence of a pet can introduce problems that make it seem less appealing than other competing properties. Here are some examples of typical things which cancrop up when pets are involved. 1. If sellers need to be notified prior to a showing so that they may make arrangements for their animals, potential buyers could lower the house's priority on their list of homes to visit. It's just more convenient to view a home when there are no scheduling issues. 2. Likewise, if sellers have special instructions for dealing with pets, such as "put the dog in the laundry room" or "do not let the cat go outside", buyers might decide that it is more convenient to view different properties first. In today's extremely competitive market, anything that makes a showing less appealingis a negative factor. 3. A loud dog can, of course, be a potential detriment. Irrespective of how friendly the dog actually may be, buyers who are not comfortable with dogs may have concerns concerning their personal safety. Even quiet dogs who are overly friendly may be stressful to potential buyers and could reduce the amount of time they spend within the home. The more timethat a buyer stays in a home, the more likely they are to be serious prospects. 4. The presence of a pet on the property may negatively affect a showing. I once had a showing of a property where the sellers left the housebut didn't take their dog with them. Instead, the dog was left within the fenced-in backyard. The house was perfect for my buyer as his hobby was woodworking and the house included a separate woodshop building. Unfortunately, since his wife was terrified bydogs - and the woodshop was located in the backyard - they never even tooka look at it. 5. Pets can create odor problems no matter how clean the home might be. Pet owners get used to the odors and might not even notice them. But, buyers who are unaccustomed to living with pets can be turned off for fear that they might never completely get rid of the offensive odor. Ask your friends or your agent to give you an candid assessment of any smells that they notice upon entering your home - then take action to eliminate them. Naturally, not all animals are a possible obstacle to the sale of a home. An aquarium or caged birds might improve the decor and ambiance and may even be considered to be exotic. And, of course, if you're selling a farm or horse property, havinghorses would definitely be a positive factor. While animal lovers might not notice the presence of pets to be a problem, it is prudent to do everything possible to make sure that buyers who aren't "animal people" aren't unintentionally excluded from the pool of potential buyers.
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As a pet owner, I don't have to be convinced of the delight that pets can bring to the family home. However, irrespective of how treasured a dog or cat may be, when a pet owner is trying to market a home, the animal's presence can create unanticipated difficulties. While animal lovers might not find the presence of pets to be a problem, it is prudent to do everything possible to make sure that buyers who don't seem to be "animal people" aren't inadvertently excluded from the pool of potential ...
Jim Navary has been a freelance writer and researcher for over thirty years covering a broad variety of topics. He is also a licensed real estate agent in the Commonwealth of Virginia featuring Colonial Heights VA real estate and Fort Lee VA homes for sale.
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