Your pet is part of the family and usually lives quite comfortably inside your house with you. But when you are getting ready to sell the house you need to consider the pet with each step of the process.

Getting your house ready to sell, when you have a pet, means you need to look carefully at how your pet affects the house. Does it shed leaving tumbleweed sized hair balls to float around the floor? Is there a pet smell? You may want to ask your REALTOR about the smell. You and other family members may not notice it, but strangers will. A pet odor may be in the duct work, the carpet, drapes and more so get a reliable opinion on this issue. Has your pet damaged any part of your house?

These things need to be considered to get the house ready to sell. And, since your pet will be living in the house with you, you need to pay attention to cleaning up each day so buyers don’t turn around and leave before really seeing the house.

In towns and cities with a robust seller’s market, sellers are opting for 3-4 days of showings and highest and best offers by the 4^th  day. Perhaps it would be best to consider kenneling your pet during those days. You’ll need a safe space for your pet during showings anyway and why risk having to clean up for the next day just to have your pet stay inside for the night.

How ever you decide to care for your pet during showings, here are some tips for getting the house ready to sell and for caring for your dog when the house is showing.

1. Clean all the doors and windows of pet-nose dirt.
2. Repair and paint doors where your cat or dog has scratched. Keep the paint on hand for when you move out and need to make last minute touch-ups.
3. Store away pet toys.
4. Clean bird cages, litter boxes, hamster and reptile cages more often to keep fresher.
5. Decide if the aquarium is moving with you. If not, now is the time to give the fish away and take down the system. Long distance moves are difficult with fish and reptiles. Research how to do it and make plans now. Please do not flush fish.
6. Invest in a robot-style vacuum cleaner that runs all day to keep the pet hair cleaned up.
7. Fill in holes in the back yard where your pooch digs.
8. Repair fence damage. If you’ve had to fill in holes around the fence with concrete blocks and other barriers, find a way to restore the look of the original fence and keep your pooch inside the yard at the same time. An altered fence will not only look junked up but will signal a “project” for the new owners. Most buyers want move-in ready.
9. Repair chewed wood inside the house. While you’re at it, look at all other wood repairs on doors, windows and frames that need touch up.
10. Pick up pet food bowls after each meal to keep the floor clean and clear.
11. Repair damaged flooring.
12. Replace pet-stained carpet for a healthy and fresh environment. A builder’s grade carpet in a neutral color makes it move-in ready and shouldn’t bust the bank account. Suggest you will do this in the listing if you cannot do it before showings begin.

Eileen Saunders, Realtor with Michael Saunders & Company, Sarasota, FL eileensaunders@michaelsaunders.com 662-404-0816 (m)