If you’ve tried to sell a home with pets, you know the struggle! Here are some of my best tips for listing a home and keeping it ready to show!

The first step is to check for odors. Best practice is to invite a friend over that you love and trust. Someone who can give you constructive criticism and you will take it as such. You want their honesty and then you have to be willing to address the things they point out. Now you see why you need to love and trust them? 😉 If they find any areas that smell less than ideal, you’ll need to deep clean, open windows and air the space out, use an air purifier, freshen that space up with whatever works. The one thing I don’t recommend is candles. You know the candle and bath shop headache? We want to avoid that. So, purifying the air and circulating fresh air after a deep clean is truly your best bet.

Next up, those pesky stains. For carpet and rugs with pets, I would suggest that every seller get them professionally cleaned. Sometimes, though, that just isn’t enough and you might need to bite the bullet and get your carpet replaced. I know, that’s not fun to hear, but I can promise that animal-stained carpet isn’t going to fetch (see what I did there?) the best price for your home.

Now, let’s address the spaces where they spend the most time. Check areas that are pet-level. The walls where they may rub against them, doorways and doors (interior and exterior), and furniture legs. If you have a room or area where you keep crates or litter boxes, you’ll want to keep that space cleaner than ever. For cat owners, I’m going to tell you to clean out a litter box as often as humanly possible. Seriously, if you can scoop every time Mittens uses it, do it. At least as long as your home is on the market. Wash any dog beds or dog bed covers as much as you can, they hold so much odor. These proactive steps will keep any unpleasant odors at bay which is essential when you’re selling your home.

Honestly, if you’re able and willing, I would bet most people to have a (really good) friend or family member keep your pet while your home is on the market. Then buy them a great gift when your home sells! If that’s not a feasible option, find a doggy daycare or sitter that you can leave them with during the day. You never know when a showing will pop up and it’s best to be prepared instead of rushing home to get the dog out of the house.

Pets are our family, I understand that it’s hard to juggle all of this when your house is for sale. But it’s also important to remember that there are people with allergies, people who are scared of animals, and people who just don’t like having animals. They may be the perfect buyers for your home and you definitely don’t want to turn them off right away because of your pet.

Comment below if you have any other suggestions for how to handle selling your home with a pet!