Hi - I was glad to see a pet forum on this board, and I know most of you will agree with me - I'm actually not sure this is the right forum for my complaint! I was watching Designed to Sell last night, and the homeowner had a rabbit, and the cage was in the guest bedroom. The realtor proclaimed something like "Rule Number 1 - PETS HAVE TO GO!" then went on about potential homebuyers having allergies, etc.
What is a homeowner supposed to do when they have pets? Board them for months? Impose upon friends and family to watch them? Give them up to a shelter? Come on, this is so unrealistic. It's like saying children and toys have to go!
I just wanted to point this out to HGTV that it was a very irresponsible comment that I take offense to.
I remember the first house I had as an adult. When we looked at it, there was a HUGE basset hound, wet from rain, sprawled out in the middle of gold shag carpet. Gross! We bought the house anyway and took out the carpet. It probably wasn't the best idea to show the house with a wet dog in the middle of it. I understand your feelings, but non pet people that are looking at the house might turn and walk away. I would think showing a house by appointment or a one day open house would allow for the pet to go visit somewhere while business is conducted. But certainly not go away permanently.
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Posts: 1478 | Location: NE Georgia | Registered: May 21, 2006
When I sold my house (I was also the realtor!) I sent my dogs to doggie day care so they wouldn't be around for showing. Every morning we would remove the dog beds from our bedroom and remove their bowls from the kitchen in order to make the home more appealing to non dog lovers. I've shown many homes to people who cringe when they see a dog bowl in the kitchen, dog beds, dog crates, cats etc. I have had people refuse to see a home because the listing mentioned "don't let the cat out." As someone else said, when you are selling a home, adjustments have to be made. It's the agents job to point out the negatives and sometimes that means asking a friend to rabbit/dog/cat/.
Posts: 689 | Location: Southwest Florida and Ontario | Registered: May 08, 2005
We've sold a few houses in our 39 years together. We've also had up to 5 pets at a time. The last house we sold...I remember cleaning like crazy, airing the house and taking 3 poodles and my cat out for a walk while the realtor showed the house; the cat was a bit of a handful, but the dogs didn't mind. I put things like kitty litter out of sight, pet bowls etc. They weren't big dogs so smell wasn't a problem, but I would air the house. Also, before we started showing, we had all the carpets professionally cleaned (they used a strong disinfectant) so there were no odours. I love my pets, but others don't and people are really turned off by a home where there are pets....if you want to sell, you make arrangements, even if it means driving around in the car with them for awhile. As far as disposable pets, well we NEVER gave up on or gave away any pets, bad behaviours and all. When we got them, they were a lifetime committment and we also spent a small fortune keeping them healthy too. They too are God's creatures and if we have them, we have a responsibility to take care of them in the best way possible.
Posts: 205 | Location: Canada | Registered: Jan 15, 2006
Here's another thought on this topic. I've watched these shows where a pro comes in to assist a homeowner in presenting the house in the best way they can. It's not only pets that have to be hidden away, children's rooms are cleared of toys, with the children going to a sitter during showing, family pictures are taken down, and pretty much all personal family things are removed. The house is supposed to appeal to a new family, so it becomes sort of generic. Even having people over to visit requires confining a pet if it might become a nuisance. Parents send the children to a sitter so they can have a quiet, grownup evening. Certainly any family member, animal or human, isn't disposable, just not appropriate in every situation.
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Posts: 1478 | Location: NE Georgia | Registered: May 21, 2006
A few years ago we were putting our home on the market, getting ready to for DH's transfer. Our very senior, almost 18 year old, spaniel mix was definitely an issue. Our married DD and her DH offered to take our sweet Eddi Marie and it turned out to be a blessing for all of us. Miss Marie stayed with "her sister" and was the perfect (almost) houseguest to what stretched into a 4 month visit because our girls had to finish school. We were staying with Grandma that didn't like any animals in the house. Miss Marie was an indoor dog and with her health issues we knew she wouldn't adapt to living outside. To make a long story short, my DD, that loved her "sister" so much got to have her every day of her life for those last few months and again care for her. Our Eddi Marie went to heaven just two months after we moved. DD loved having her at the end of her life, even with all the health issues. Our DD got that unconditional love from our dog like she had growing up that will be forever in her heart.
Posts: 429 | Location: Oregon | Registered: Dec 29, 2007
I'm with you, Kittycarryall. My sister and BIL have sold three homes since 1993, dogs, cats, pet rats, chinchilla, bird, kids and all personal accessories stayed as was decorated.
The longest their homes took to sell was four weeks, the shortest two. People are not selling homes today.........they are selling overpriced houses, thus they have to look like something our homes never look like, fantasy land.
SharonK I agree with you. People want to visit a perfect house but I would love to see what that perfect house looks like, a few months after being lived in.
I have 14 cats and we have agreed that if we need to move, I'll go ahead, buy a house, move with the kitties and we'll have this house staged for sale (all beige, granite and stainless steel) since people have no imagination whatsoever.
WOW, OP, you certainly struck a nerve with a lot of people and I, for one, agree with you.
Pets are NOT disposable but when a person is trying to sell a house in this trying market, it is best if they aren't there and neither should all of their "stuff" be present.
Before you get upset, I think everyone is simply saying to move the animals to a safe location during showings so potential Buyers can envision living in that space after paying **** for the house in this downward market.
No one is saying to get rid of pets/family members, just remove them from the house during showings. Would you want three or four young children racing through the house during a showing while a realtor is trying to explain the benefits of buying a particular house?
Thought not, it's the same with animals or young children; we all love our own baggage but doubt many of us would buy a house where their presence is overwhelming. Just my thoughts....
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Well, for a different take on this - I bought my current home based partly on the fact that the family had a couple of cats and dogs. To add more fuel to the fire - it was not painted a neutral tone and had loads of personal flair. The great decorating and pets prompted me to imagine my family enjoying its warmth, curled up with one of our 4-legged friends.
Posts: 295 | Location: Ferndale, WA | Registered: Nov 09, 2007
mseadog23..good for you. I can look pass the paint color, furniture, carpets, etc. I look at the house not what the current owners have.
My problem with this is that moving the pets is not always easy or feasible. And it annoys me to no end that some people simply can't see past their noses and wouldn't buy a house because the dining room walls are red (or any similar stupid little details).
I actually prefer to see a house that is lived in. I do not trust "staged" houses, I wonder what they are trying to hide? But then, I have a cat, and love all animals (save maybe a snake). A person that has enough love to have pets, unless they are a horder, has enough love to keep a good house.
I can understand not having pets around to an extent. My sons allergic to dogs and cats so this is a problem for him. Then to I don't think many people would be thrilled with most of my pets,(snake, lizards, hamster, most of all 49 tarantulas). The one thing that would have to stay for the showing would be our 125 gallon fish tank.
Posts: 197 | Location: Geneva, IL | Registered: Nov 03, 2004
Originally posted by Kittycarryall: Hi - I was glad to see a pet forum on this board, and I know most of you will agree with me - I'm actually not sure this is the right forum for my complaint! I was watching Designed to Sell last night, and the homeowner had a rabbit, and the cage was in the guest bedroom. The realtor proclaimed something like "Rule Number 1 - PETS HAVE TO GO!" then went on about potential homebuyers having allergies, etc.
What is a homeowner supposed to do when they have pets? Board them for months? Impose upon friends and family to watch them? Give them up to a shelter? Come on, this is so unrealistic. It's like saying children and toys have to go!
I just wanted to point this out to HGTV that it was a very irresponsible comment that I take offense to.
I found that offensive too, My dog is my child. I was yelling at the tv on that comment. LOL
Posts: 296 | Location: TEXAS | Registered: May 29, 2008
Originally posted by SheChi: Pets are not disposable. My dogs ARE my children. However, most people love only their pets, not yours. You will always have a few who love ALL pets. But for the most part, most people will put up with their own "lived in place" but not yours. Also. you have people who are allergic, so be ready for all eventualities.
Most buyers expect your place to be clean & smelling fresh, or they'll go onto the next house.
I sold my house last year & I made sure that I removed my pets, their beds, bowls etc. I was fortunate enough to have a sister live 1 mile away, so it wasn't a big deal.NOBODY new that I had pets. I wanted to keep it that way for the MAJORITY of lookers.
It just happened that the people who purchased my house had a small dog.
Unfortunately for the pets, the buyers are a bit over the top, whether they have allergies & are expecting a perfect house, so you should make arrangements for your pets when selling.
I've learned all this from moving many times & selling 3 of my homes from my own Open Houses. I heard directly what comments buyers were making.
My big lesson was when I was selling in 1991. I had an Open House. A gentleman came by & he loved the house. He was very interested. He commented how immaculate the house was...He finished touring. He started talking about AN OFFER...I said to him: You missed a bathroom. It's located on the way as you go out through the garage. He went & looked into the bathroom & started running out of my house. I asked: what's the matter? He said: OMG! you have a DOG! I'm allergic to dogs!(cripe, I had a little Shih Tzu ,3 month old puppy in a crate. They are non-allergenic. They have hair like people & they don't shed).
My point is that the buyer had no idea that I had a dog. As soon as he saw the puppy, he ASSUMED that he was allergic to it. NUTZ, I tell you. But that's how some people are, so you just have to remove your pets if you want to sell.
You can make arrangements with your Vet to be able to drop them off temporarily. That was my back up plan, if I couldn't take them to my sister's. In fact, that's what I did with my dogs when we sold & were moving. They were at the vets for the entire day. I picked up & brought them to the new house...
Originally posted by SheChi: You can make arrangements with your Vet to be able to drop them off temporarily. That was my back up plan, if I couldn't take them to my sister's. In fact, that's what I did with my dogs when we sold & were moving. They were at the vets for the entire day. I picked up & brought them to the new house...
Not necessarily. My vet doesn't board animals unless for treatment.
Posts: 158 | Location: Connecticut | Registered: Nov 03, 2003
Originally posted by SheChi: (cripe, I had a little Shih Tzu ,3 month old puppy in a crate. They are non-allergenic. They have hair like people & they don't shed).
Just fyi, it is possible he was allergic to your dog. People have sensitivities to animal dander, not so much the hair. All cats and dogs have dander. A person can even be allergic to human hair/dander (when I was a child I tested allergic to human hair). Some people are more sensitive to some types of cats or dogs but not to others. But it would be incorrect to say that any given animal is non-allergenic, if that means it couldn't provoke an allergic reaction in anyone. However, if he was really severely allergic to your particular pet, he would have gotten a reaction from walking through ANY room the dog had been in, not just where the dog was at the time, because it's impossible to clean every speck of dander from every square inch of the house and air.
So, while I agree that if one can easily move pets elsewhere during a showing that is probably a good, safe thing to do, since many people overreact to them, and because some pets really are offputting to some people, but there are times it's just not possible.
On edit: I see there are some similar threads in the Real Estate forums that may interest readers of this thread.
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