Buying and Selling a Home with Pets

This post is sponsored and contributed by a Patch Community Partner. The views expressed in this post are the author's own, and the information presented has not been verified by Patch.

In this day and age we are so divided. There seems to be no middle ground, a polarization that causes huge rifts and divisiveness. There’s not much middle ground, you’re either a “cat person” or a “dog person” (what did you think I was talking about?)

I happen to be a dog person. And if you’d ever met Bailey, my 12 year old tri-color sheltie, you’d fall in love with her immediately. She’s smart, and sweet, and attentive, perfectly suited for her “job” as a comfort pet. We are certified through a wonderful New Jersey organization called Creature Comfort. As a team, Bailey and I travel to nursing homes, veteran’s groups, college kids with stress, or kids with special needs. It always brings me great pride to witness the joy this 20lb ball of fur and love brings to their world.

Pets are truly an important member of our family. They should be loved and protected. That’s why I thought I’d offer you a few tips on selling your home when there’s a pet involved.

Packing up to move
Keep in mind that moving is a difficult and emotional process and we can often overlook the stress it causes to our pets. During this transition, be extra mindful of your pet. Watch for any changes in mood, eating habits or activity. I recently moved and experienced this firsthand with Bailey. The stress of the move had a physical effect on her health. Thankfully she’s fine now… and we’re both enjoying our new home. My goal as your realtor is to make sure you do too!

Try to keep them away from all the commotion of packing or unpacking. Make sure you are attentive and spend some quality time with them, with all the additional work and stress, we can easily forget that they need our love and attention now more than ever. An extra walk or brush is always a great way to reassure them that they are not forgotten.

Showing your home
For the safety of your pet, and your prospective purchaser, try your best to take your pet with you during showing appointments.

Think ahead, have a plan in place for appointments. Enlist the help of a friend or neighbor so you can accommodate showings readily. Your goal is to make showing your home easy for your buyers. I know it’s not easy for you and your pet. Think of it this way - a temporary inconvenience for you can lead to faster, less stressful sale.

Keep pet odors in check and regularly sweep for furballs. Masking smells can make them worse. A good professional carpet cleaning and changing the filter in your HVAC unit before listing goes a long way.

Designate a place for bowls, leashes, beds and scattered toys.

Keep outdoors clean and free of pet waste.

Repair any damage Fido or Fluffy may have done to the house. Something as small as claw marks on doors, baseboards, or window sills can often linger as a negative connotation in the mind of buyers.

Welcome to your new neighborhood
And when you finally sell and are able to move into your new home, avoid leaving them alone for long periods of time for the first few weeks you are there. Take them on a tour of their new neighborhood right away so they can get familiar with the sounds and scents. And stick as close as possible to their daily schedule.

The more you can make familiar for them, the better off they’ll be in the long run, and you’ll see some happy tail wagging and purring in no time!

CONTACT INFORMATION:

LISA MOLINARI
Weichert Realtor
20 Madison Avenue
Morristown, NJ 07960
(C) 908.337.1748
MolinariRealtor@gmail.com
lisa-molinari.weichert.com

This is a sponsored post contributed by a Patch Community Partner, a local sponsor. To learn more, click here.