If you have pets, you know that a house is not a home without them. However, pets are not for everyone. Some people can’t stand the sight of fur on their sofa or perhaps they are allergic to cats and dogs. If you are selling your home, chances are those kind of people are going to walk through the front door. If they see evidence of your furry family members, they may just turn about face and walk right out.
That’s why home staging is so important. Staging is the process of cleaning and preparing your home for potential buyers. Generally, staging involves getting rid of clutter, setting the dining room table, putting flowers in vases, and touching up scuffed paint. But for pet owners, there is a little more work involved.
Eliminate Pet Odors
For a lot of people, it isn’t the visual presence of pets that is a turn-off. It’s the smell. Love them or hate them, you have to admit that pets don’t exactly smell like a bouquet of roses. The problem is, when you live with pets you often become accustomed to their natural odor. So whether or not you think your home’s scent betrays Fido’s presence, it’s a good idea to go the extra mile to eliminate odors.
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To remove pet odor from carpeting, there are few proven techniques. Perhaps the only truly effective measure is to purchase an enzymatic based pet odor remover from your local pet supply store. These cleaners are composed of natural enzymes that eat away at the natural materials that cause urine smells in the first place.
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Clean soft furnishing like duvet covers, small rugs, and pillowcases in the washing machine. If nobody in your house is sensitive to perfumes, throw in a cap full of laundry scent boosters to add extra freshness.
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Sprinkle baking soda over carpets and upholstery, leave it overnight, and vacuum it up the next morning.
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Clean hard surfaces with antibacterial cleaner. Bacteria are the source of many common pet odors.
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Scoop the cat’s box daily and switch to an odor-absorbing litter if not using one already.
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Fill your home with fragrance using a stovetop potpourri made with natural ingredients that are less irritating for people sensitive to fragrance.
Improve Curb Appeal
If your dog loves to dig holes in the yard, you definitely want to fill those in before you put your house on the market. Curb appeal is one of your home’s most important selling points, if it doesn’t make a great first impression, fewer people will want to see what is inside. Another thing to look out for is dead spots in your lawn thanks to your dog marking his territory. Rake the patch to remove as much dead grass as possible, spread a fine layer of ground limestone over the patch, let it absorb for a week, then cover the patch with top soil and grass seeds to regrow.
Setting the Stage
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Gather up all your dog or cat’s belongings, toys, leash, bedding, etc, and store them in a closet whenever someone is viewing your home.
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Invest in a couple of air purifiers that help remove hair and dander from your home.
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Use a damp rubber glove to remove pet hair from upholstery. Lint rollers leave a sticky film behind, which actually attracts more pet hair.
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Turn on lamps and open curtains to get a full view of any problem areas you need to address.
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Consider hiring a pet sitter or boarding your pet during an open house or scheduled viewings. Many pets get stressed out in the presence of strangers.
Pets make a house a home, but if you want to sell that house it’s best to conceal the evidence of your furry family members. The most important thing to address is odor, the smell of pets is more off-putting than the sight.
Article provided by Medina at DogEtiquette.info
