Selling Your Home with Pets or Kids

Showing your home to potential buyers can be tough when it’s occupied by either you or your ex-spouse.  Keeping things tidy and clean in the event of a short-notice showing is especially difficult if there are pets or children living in the house!

There will be all types of people viewing your home; those who love pets and those who don’t.  Those who understand the messes that children make and those who don’t.  Ideally, you want to consider all types of buyers with a judgement-free perspective and work to make your home welcoming and inviting to them.

If you have pets, it’s recommended that they not be present for showings if possible.  This will ensure that a buyer who is afraid of animals doesn’t feel uncomfortable while trying to see your home, and it also prevents mishaps such as the buyer accidentally letting your pet outside if they’re supposed to stay inside, or letting them inside if they’re supposed to stay outside.

If you can eliminate all signs that an animal lives there, including food/water bowls, toys, beds, litter boxes, and especially pet odors, you’re reducing the possibility that a non-pet-loving buyer will be turned off by it.

When it comes to children, decluttering their play space and reducing the number of toys they have out at once is the best way to achieve a quicker clean-up.  You can require a two-hour notice period for showings to give you plenty of time to clean things up and take your child or children for a walk or to the park, but the requirement for advanced notice can be a deterrence if the buyer’s schedule is undetermined or difficult to plan for.

In general, it’s best if you can make your house seem like there was never pets or children living there!  But we take things on a case-by-case situation, and in many cases it’s just not feasible.  If you want to chat with us about your situation to see what our recommendations are for you, feel free to reach out to us anytime!