Top Tips for Selling Your Home When You Have Pets
In this two-minute read, we show you how to present your pets when selling your home in Scotland.
The UK is a nation of animal lovers, with some estimates suggesting there are 40 million pets across the country. The pandemic led many people to add a pet to their household as well, using the time at home to settle in with their new addition. However, when selling your home, you need to appeal to as many people as possible, whether they prefer cats, dogs, terrapins, or no pets at all. Here are our recommendations to do just that.
Get prepared
When you know the photographer is booked to visit your property, where practical, tidy away the most obvious signs of pets in your home. Some people, even when browsing online, can be put off because of previous bad experiences with pets. Ensure you are getting the most viewings possible from the pictures by keeping pet paraphernalia to a minimum and keeping them out of shot.
For the fluffy and the furry
Open the windows to air your home. This helps freshen the property from any odour to which you may have become desensitised. Tidy away pet belongings so it is not the main thing the viewer will notice in the rooms. Remove excess pet hair from soft furnishings and carpets with a quick vacuuming or wipe over with a damp rubber glove. If possible, ensure the pet themselves is not there. Perhaps a friendly neighbour could help or book a pet sitter.
Non-fluffy pets
Any pets, like reptiles or other sorts of animals in terrariums, are often best to cover over before a viewing. Some people find them either such a turn-off, or so interesting, they fail to focus on the property itself! Any birds or small pets, like guinea pigs or gerbils, need to be cleaned out as close to the time of viewing as possible.
Spick and span
If you have litter trays in the property, be sure they’re clean and have fresh litter. If your pets use the garden, be sure it’s free of any reasons to watch where you walk. Don’t forget to check your cat’s favourite location to drop off any little dead presents too. Check all doors and windows for paw prints or nose marks and wipe clean. This also lets more light into the property, which is always a positive.
If you’re planning a move with your pet and have questions about how best to present your property, get in touch with your local Scottish Property Centre branch.
Copyright Scottish Property Centre 2021