Anyone who is in real estate will readily share their experience with you, and warn about the volatility of the real estate market. As a realtor, when you find a client, you try as hard as you can to hold onto him or her, because closing a deal is not as easy as purchasing something from a local store – deals come once in a blue moon!
If you depend on the market to earn a living, then you have to supplement your income with something else on the side, because you are never sure about the next time an opportunity might come knocking. Luckily, like any different market, if you play your cards right, you can without a doubt, smile your way to the bank. However, today our focus is on pets, and how they can impact a property sale.
Animals Can Detract From a Sale
Animals are beautiful creatures in general. They make the world a better place to live in as they contribute to diversity. Some individuals keep pets for protection, while some live with them as companions. Regardless the reason, not everyone is into them, and when it comes to selling a home, it’s advisable to keep your pets away from prospective home buyers. Even though there’s a possibility you might come across a client who loves pets as you do, you have to ask yourself whether the deal is worth the risk.
Before making up their minds, buyers usually love scouting all the homes on the market. If you have a showing on a scheduled date, and your pet happens to be around, you can never tell what the animal’s reaction will be towards someone it perceives as a stranger invading its home. For instance, your typical pet such as a dog can be aggressive and hence scare the client. You will, therefore, rule yourself out of any considerations the buyer might be having and be left holding onto your property for an extended period.
Hopefully, with the assistance of this article, you will acquaint yourself with a couple of strategies you can employ when selling your home if you want to find a buyer with the best offer.
Keep all your pets away on the date of the showing
Naturally, we chose to start with this one! On the day you decide to show your potential clients what the house has to offer, seek the help of your friends, relatives, family, or hire someone to take your pet someplace safe and look after it for a while as you attend to your business. Not so long ago they were considered odd-kinds of jobs, but currently, we have pet sitters everywhere and including pet daycares. They take excellent care of pets, so you don’t have to worry.
In addition to this, leave no trace of signs that indicate you own a pet. Examples of these indications include; the food in the open cabinets, toys, and bowls. Your potential buyers will demand your undivided attention. As a result, your pet might slip out of the house without you knowing. You can avoid this situation by attending to it before the prospective buyer’s arrival.
Consider the option of a temporary relocation
Not all buyers will show up on one particular day. One thing you need to bear in mind is the fact that buyers opt to view available houses on the market on the day they find most convenient to them. Putting this into perspective, it beats logic to consistently search for a place you’ll have to keep your pet anytime a buyer shows up. For this reason, you can talk to a close friend of yours or family member to look after your pet for a specific period as you try to find the right buyer for your house. Something else worth noting is, some individuals don’t merely dislike animals but fear them due to allergies. Even if the pet is not anywhere around the home, the pet odors around the property can be enough to trigger such allergies. Subsequently, making you lose a buyer who could give you an incred-inline-blockle offer.
Carry out Repairs
We’ve already established how much we all love our pets, but this love comes at a cost. Pets always damage homes in one way or another. As a dog owner, your dog probably jumps at the door anytime the bell rings. Or, you’ve noticed the scratches on the floor and window sills. If you are putting your property up for sale ensure you make the necessary repairs because buyers will go for those homes that are in a considerably fair condition. A house that’s in excellent condition is valuable in the eyes of buyers and therefore warrants a reasonable offer.
Thoroughly clean up the yard
It would be very irresponsible of you only to clean the house and forget about its surroundings. Adequately trained pets ordinarily do their businesses outside so don’t let your buyers step on unexpected things as they try to access the backyard. To some people, it might not seem like a huge deal, but a small fraction of individuals are susceptible to such ordeals. Try as hard as possible to not crush a potential sale due to negligence. If the exercise of cleaning a home to that extent is not in your wheelhouse, you are free to hire professional cleaners in the business.
Cooperate with your realtor
Bank on the experience these experts have had in the market over the years. They know all about optics and how to fast-track any property sale. With the help of a realtor, you can quickly get your house in order, and not get caught off-guard by your buyers.
The bottom line is, be it an exotic pet or a typical pet, as a seller you ought to ensure that the listing information has the animal present, and your agent knows during the property showing.
