Image by Andreas Thurmayr from Pixabay
When you set up an open house, it’s important to do all you can to let the prospective buyers envision themselves in that space. They need to be able to see it as their own and imagine all the possibilities it holds. But if signs of your pets are around every corner, it could detract from their vision. Fortunately, you can easily remove your pets from the equation by taking the following steps.
Relocate Your Pets for the Day
You’ll want to get your pets out of the house to a doggie daycare, pet sitter or trusted friend during each showing. Without pets in their midst, prospective homebuyers can explore the property at their leisure while envisioning how they will use the space.
Beyond that, your pets will appreciate the time away since it can feel distressing to have so many people coming through their house all day. Just be sure to arrange for early drop off, so you have time to tidy up the house before your guests arrive.
Put Away Their Toys and Gear
For each home showing to be a true success, you need to create somewhat of a blank canvas by putting away all your personal items. That goes double for your pets.
As you go through your house, put away all their:
- Crates
- Cat trees
- Bedding
- Toys
- Dishes
Since these items likely sink to the background in your daily life, you’ll likely need to go through the house a couple times to get it all.
Make the Space Odor Free
Even the cleanest pets leave behind their odor in the places they spend the most time. Only by getting rid of their lingering aura can you truly keep their presence off the minds of the visiting homebuyers.
You can do so by sprinkling deodorizer powder on the carpets and cleaning the rest of the flooring. Then, treat the air with an essential oil diffuser or by setting out small containers of potpourri.
Right before everyone arrives, pop a couple batches of cookies in the oven to fill the air with the scent of fresh baked goods, and you’re golden. As an added benefit, you can set out the cookies on the refreshment table for all to enjoy.
Bring in the Professional Cleaners
If you have time, it’s always a good idea to bring in the professional cleaners. They can see your home from an all-new perspective and hit on the areas where your pets spend the most time. As they do a quick wipe down of all the surfaces in the home, all pet fur will disappear like magic.
While they work, focus your attention outdoors where your pets go potty and zoom around the yard. Make sure that all messes are picked up, leaving behind fresh green grass for your visitors to admire.
As you move through these steps, all signs of your pet will disappear, so you can hold your open house with confidence everything looks and smells its best. You’ll want to repeat this process before each showing, but it shouldn’t take much time after your first run through.
About the Author
Kyung Kim
Hi, I'm Kyung Kim. I immigrated from South Korea to the United States in 1968 when I was 7 years old. I have seen my mom struggle with the English language and work hard to raise her four kids by herself. Still to this day, I don't know how she pulled it off, but she bought her first home in 1979 for $70,000 and because of that decision, she was able to live without worrying about her financial future. I want that for everyone, to feel the pride of home ownership and to build their financial wealth using real estate as part of their financial portfolio. I feel so blessed to play a small role in helping others reach this goal.
I live in Beaverton with my husband, Richard. My mom, who lived with us for several years, passed away in our home in February 2022. Her first home purchase in 1979 made it possible for her to live to the very end, without worrying about her finances. As of August 2022 with a little downpayment assistance, our four children own their own homes. Being in real estate, I quickly realized that if they didn't buy now, they may be priced out of the market in the future. Whether that would have been the case, we will never know, but what we do know is that they are all realizing some good, healthy appreciation in their home values.
As passionate as I am about people owning their homes, I'm also passionate about giving back to our community. I support Compassion First, a non-profit organization that provides aftercare for sex trafficked girls in Indonesia. My husband and I also feel called to financially support social injustice organizations.
I'd love to assist you. Whether you're in the research phase at the beginning of your real estate search or you know exactly what you're looking for, you'll benefit from having a real estate professional by your side. I'd be honored to put my real estate experience to work for you.
