5 Easy Ways to Sell Your Home If You Have Pets

Just about everyone loves pets and loves having them around! Everyone, that is, except for the homebuyer who could potentially be purchasing your home. Not only do pets provide an unnecessary distraction for the homebuyer, but they can also turn them off with potential odors, hair, and behavior.

As adorable and loveable as your pets are, don’t let them hold you back! Sell your home with these five easy tips!

Take Your Pet Out For the Day – If you’re having your home shown to a potential homebuyer, try your best not to leave your pet home with them. You wouldn’t want your potential homebuyer to be prevented from viewing a home or area in the home because your pet is in there. There’s nothing more off-putting for a homebuyer than being greeted by an overly excited dog, a hissing cat, or growling, barking dog. If you can’t take your pet out of the house for the day, ask a trusted friend or relative to watch your pet for you while you work.

Hide the Evidence – Make sure that your potential homebuyers’ attention isn’t taken away from the beautiful features of your home because of pet toys and dishes! Pick up and place your pet’s toys somewhere that is more unnoticeable. Clean the area where your pet eats and drinks, and put away the treats, leashes, and litter box if you can.

Make Your House Smell Great – Not everyone who has a pet has a home that smells like their pet, but it’s always a good idea to freshen up your home for a showing. Instead of spraying massive amounts of air freshener in your home, try airing it out by keeping your windows open during pleasant weather and maybe baking an apple or cherry pie. Don’t forget to clean your fabrics, carpets, curtains, and cushions as well.

Clean Up Hair – If your pet sheds, you will need to make sure to stay on top of all of the shedding when your house is on the market. No one wants to see hairs on the couch or puffs of hair in the corner. Vacuum and sweep daily, if possible, to keep your home as hair-free as possible – you never know who might want to drop by to see your home!

Make Trouble Spots Disappear – Accidents happen, especially with very young and very old pets. Regardless, your floors are going to be quite a challenge when it comes to de-petting your home for a showing. Make sure to clean all the trouble spots you know where your pet has messed in the past, and be sure to test all cleaners on a small, less-seen area first to test for colorfastness. To find all the spots your pet has messed, consider using a battery-powered black light – in complete darkness, it will show all the locations in which your pet has messed.

Need more tips? Ready to sell your home? Let us help. Call us at (618) 791-9298 or at (618) 791-5024 or visit us online at www.dianamasseyhomes.com!

The 9 Things That Might Be Scaring Home Buyers Away From Your Home

Are you having trouble getting people interested in your for-sale home? Have people already walked through your home but showed zero interest in buying it, let alone putting down an offer for it?

You may not realize it, but there may be some things about your home or that you’re doing (or failing to do) to your home that might be scaring away any potential home buyers. Are you guilty of committing one of these nine crimes?

1. Your Curb Appeal is UGLY – And we mean ugly with a capital “U!” If you have shingles falling off your roof, junk scattered in your yard, or weeds taking over your sidewalks and driveway, you may be stopping any potential buyers cold in their tracks. When home buyers see that the outside of a prospective home is unkempt or just plain frightening, they figure that the inside of the home will look the same (or even worse). Be sure to enhance your curb appeal by planting some beautiful flowers, caring for your lawn, putting out a new and inviting welcome mat, and so much more!

2. Your House Stinks (Literally) – Odors can kill the mood and dismantle the enchantment of house hunting in a quick second. If you happen to smoke inside your home, that stench will permeate your entire home from your furniture and carpet to the drapes and even the walls! Pets and mold can also leave horrible stenches that can turn potential buyers off, sometimes permanently. If you’re not sure if your home smells, ask a neighbor or a friend to come over to offer their opinion.

3. Your Bathroom is Filthy – No one likes gross, dirty bathrooms, especially potential home buyers. Make sure that you clean the bathroom thoroughly before you have home buyers in your home. Replace any old fixtures and gross shower curtains, and be sure that your bathroom is presentable and squeaky clean.

4. You’re a Fan of Wallpaper  – Wallpaper is a personal taste, and most of the time it repels buyers, especially if the wallpaper is in every single room of the house. If you really want your home to sell, take the time to remove the wallpaper and put on a coat of neutral paint. DO NOT paint over the wallpaper! It will be obvious that you painted over the wallpaper AND it will be more difficult to remove.

5. You Have Pets – Dogs may be cute, but some people don’t like them or are simply afraid of them. Many people don’t enjoy being jumped up or licked profusely by dogs when entering homes. If you can, remove your pets during showings to show respect to the potential home buyers.

6. You Have a Love of Bold or Dark Wall Paint Colors – Some people love dark or bold paint colors. That’s perfectly fine… that is, unless you’re selling your home! Buyers try to picture their own stuff in your home, and it’s very difficult to envision if your bold wall colors overpower their senses. For the best results, paint your walls neutral colors (which, by the way, doesn’t mean just white or beige!). Remember, you want your potential buyer to focus on the square footage and other positive attributes of your home, not be distracted by the wall colors!

7. Your Home is Overpriced – No matter how much you love your home, if you have it overpriced it will be a rare occurrence if someone serious wants to come take a look. The smart thing to do is to price it correctly the first time and stick with it. If you overprice it but keep dropping the price over time, home buyers may see you as desperate to sell your home.

8. BUGS – Want a guaranteed way to shoe buyers right out of your home? INSECTS. If you have any insect problems, mice, or cockroaches, don’t count on any home buyers stopping by or sticking around if they do come in. If you can’t get rid of these pests yourself, do yourself a favor and call a professional.

9. You NEVER Leave The Buyer Alone – Can you say, “AWKWARD?!” Give your buyers some space and freedom to check out your home unescorted. If you hang around them all the time, they won’t feel free to explore and will feel as if they are unwelcomed guests.

Looking to sell your home? Need some more tips to make your house look the best it can look? Give us a call at (618) 791-5024 or at (618) 791-9898 or check out our website at www.dianamasseyhomes.com to see how we can help you. Stop committing these nine crimes and start selling your home today!