Dogs and cats need extra care when you are showing and selling your home. How do you balance selling your home, with pets and their special needs?
The best way to protect your pets and visitors is to remove pets for all showings.
Here’s why you should remove your pets when you show your home, and how this can help you sell your home faster, and for more money.
Selling Your Home With Pets: Safety First
Caitlin Davis is a certified dog trainer, and founder of Pawsitive Guidance, which offers professional dog training and pet sitting throughout San Diego County. Here’s her opinion about selling your home with pets:
- Dogs and cats can be territorial. Some dogs don’t mind having strangers enter a home. However, many dogs were bred and trained to protect their property. Dogs who are normally gentle and quiet, can become confused, threatened, and may attack. Cats can also experience stress with unknown visitors.
- Pets can escape and get lost. It’s very easy for a real estate agent to accidentally leave the front door open when showing your home. Dogs and cats who normally don’t run away, can become frightened and dart out of the house if strangers enter.
Three more reasons to keep pets away during showings:
- Allergies. Many potential home buyers are allergic to pet dander. When I met my husband, he owned a cat. Unfortunately, he is highly allergic to cats, and had to take Claritin just about every day. If he tries to enter a house occupied by pets, he begins wheezing.
- Phobias. A potential home buyer may be afraid of dogs. They can become so upset that they shut down, and just want to leave. Even when dogs are kept away from vistors, such as in crates or in the backyard, barking can be upsetting or distracting.
- Toddlers. My two-year-old LOVES dogs and cats. Sometimes he loves them too much. He pulls tails and ears, and puts food in their mouths. Expect that many potential home buyers will come to your house with small children.
Why Selling Your Home With Pets Can Cost You Money
Selling your home with pets can be expensive. Your house may take longer to sell, and you may receive fewer and lower offers, if you:
- Require at least 24-hour notice to show your home. Many home sellers want to remove their pets. They need advance notice to take off work to handle it themselves. Many buyers can’t wait 24+ hours to schedule a showing. They often choose to tour houses that are easy to access.
- Keep pets in the house or backyard when showing your home. If you keep animals on the property, your listing agent will need to say so in the MLS listing. If a buyer, or the buyer’s agent, has allergies or phobias, they may easily skip over your house and move on to the next.
- Keep pet toys, bowls, and other items in view during a showing. These are reminders to potential buyers that a pet lives in the house.
A common question I hear from buyers who tour a house with pets is, “Will the sellers replace the carpeting?” Potential buyers will offer less money for a house if they believe it needs special cleaning and carpet replacement. Or they may not make an offer at all.
Tips for Selling Your Home With Pets
Keeps your pets safe, and make your home more attractive to buyers. For every showing:
- Remove pets from your home.
- Put away pet items, such as leashes, bowls, beds, and toys.
- Vacuum the floor and open some windows, if possible.
Finally, prepare to let agents show your home on short notice. Sellers who require scheduling tours at least 24 or 48 hours in advance can find their house sitting on the market, unseen by buyers who don’t have flexible schedules.
Can’t stay home all day with your pets? Hire a professional pet walker who offers these services on an on-call basis. Companies like Pawsitive Guidance are available for showings with only two hours’ notice. They also provide boarding services for open houses, and moving services that cater to your pets’ needs. They make selling your home with pets less stressful, on both you and your pets!
The Bottom Line
Selling your home with pets requires some extra preparation. Offering a pet-free tour for your visitors may sell your home faster, and for more money. Keep your beloved pets, and your potential buyers, safe and happy.
You can also read about moving into a new home with pets.
Good luck, and contact me with any questions.
Thank you for contributing to this article:
Caitlin Davis is the founder of 
Pawsitive Guidance, a professional and certified dog training and pet sitting company in San Diego County. Caitlin provides a wide variety of pet care services, including positive reinforcement dog training. Contact her at (760) 214-4773 or via her company’s website.
