You may think of your dog as your well-behaved child, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But when it comes to real estate dealings, there is a proper etiquette that both buyers and sellers should adhere to. Here are a few ways to make sure your dog doesn’t get in the way of a home sale.
Don't advertise that your dogs had full roam of your house
You may be required to disclose that you owned dogs. But this doesn’t mean you have to advertise it all over your home. Some buyers are particular about pets, and if they are constantly reminded that a few dogs lived in the home for years, it may turn them off to making an offer. All you really need to do to not advertise this is put away your dog toys, dog bed, and food. As a common courtesy and in keeping with this theme of non-advertisement, take a few minutes and pick up any dog poop in your yard. Letting a potential buyer step in a nice big pile of poop is surely not proper etiquette.
Put you dogs away (or better yet, put them somewhere else entirely)
Your dog won’t think you love him less if you don’t want him to be around for the formal showings and open houses. Dogs make some people uncomfortable (even the most well-behaved), and even dog lovers aren’t as apt to love your dog. Their dog’s slobber is fine, but your dog’s slobber is gross. The easiest thing to do is to relocate your dog for the duration. You can put him in the neighbor’s yard, board him at a kennel, or see if a friend will pick him up for the day. If this just isn’t possible, at least put your dog in a cage or crate and put them as far away from the highly-trafficked areas as possible. One good tip is to put a sign on the crate asking people not to disturb them. This helps to prevent potential bites and scares, as well as helps keep your dog calm. No dog wants a bunch of strangers’ hands in their face all day.
This also goes for those looking to buy. There’s no real reason to take your dog to an open house, and it’s rude to do so without first clearing it with the realtor/homeowner. There may be a reason you want your dog to check out a house before you buy it (see if they like it, can access certain areas with ease) but if so, you must get pre-approved.
When it comes to finally moving out, the rules still apply. Although you can request pet friendly movers here, it’s probably best to just arrange for your pet to be out of the way on moving day.
Go above and beyond to clean
You may have become comfortable with the smell of dogs in your home, but a potential home buyer probably hasn’t. It doesn’t hurt to put a little extra time and effort into making your house as free of the many dog ghosts that lie around, like odor and hair. Clean spots, wash carpets and rugs, and sweep and vacuum. Just this little big of cleaning goes a long way. There are natural remedies, but just make sure they work well enough that a stranger wouldn’t smell anything (have an honest friend give you an assessment).
We all love our dogs, and there’s no way to completely hide the fact that a home was a dog home. But there is some easy etiquette you can adhere to to make buyers and sellers more comfortable, while also increasing the opportunity of making a deal.
Source: http://dogetiquette.info
