8 Home Staging Tips for Pet Owners

Home staging does a big job when selling a house. It ensures you accentuate all the right features of the property and make buyers fall in love with the place as soon as they come in. However, home staging can be slightly more complicated if you have a pet. Your lovely fur friend can make your home messier, which is the opposite of what you’re trying to achieve with home staging. For that reason, this is a helpful guide for you – here are the 8 home staging tips for pet owners you shouldn’t forget when selling your property.

Why is home staging important?

If you haven’t sold a home before, you may not understand the importance of home staging in the sale process. A house will usually spend less time on the market if adequately staged. Potential buyers will decide to make a purchase a lot faster if the property is ready for them to move in. Also, after decluttering and removing all the personal items, your home will not give that awkward feeling to potential buyers. No one viewing a house for sale wants to feel like they are snooping through other people’s belongings. Finally, a staged home can get you a better deal, too – buyers are willing to pay more for a house they liked the moment they saw it.

How to stage a home with pet residents – home staging tips for pet owners

Pets are cute and offer their owners a beautiful friendship and many mental and physical health benefits. However, if you keep them in your home, you can expect more mess than homes without pets. This can be an issue when presenting the property to people who might not understand what it’s like to live with a pet. That’s why we prepared the eight most home staging tips for pet owners.

1.     Treat the critical spots

Start with the problematic areas first. Make sure you deal with any spots, stains, scratches, or damage to your rugs or furniture before anything else. Puppies love chewing things, while cats enjoy sharpening their claws on the furniture. Dealing with these ‘traces’ of sweet crimes will ensure potential buyers don’t think you haven’t maintained the place properly. However, if there are pieces of furniture you can’t fix, it’s best to remove them from the property. Rockstar Pro Movers recommend taking such items to a storage unit until you figure out what to do with them. They’ll remain safe, and you’ll make your home ready for buyers.

You will need to cover up the mess your pet made.

2.     Remove any sources of bad smell

It is tremendously important for a home to smell nice when potential buyers come to see it. This is particularly important for properties that include pets as residents. Remove any sources of foul smell, such as food bowls and dog beds, but also other things that may not be related to pets – ashtrays, dirty garbage bins, etc. It’s essential to make sure the space smells fresh and feels nice. How your home smells can either be a bad first impression or why people feel good once they come in – choose the right thing to do.

3.     Give your carpets and furniture a deep-clean

Another source of bad smell can be the carpets and furniture in your home. So, if you’re a pet owner, be sure to refresh carpets, rugs, and seating furniture, as these can acquire the smell of the pets. You can have them professionally cleaned for best results or refresh them yourself with a cleaning solution or with some vinegar and baking soda.

4.     Vacuum every little corner

Pet hair and dust or dirt your pets might bring from the outside can present a threat to the overall opinion of the potential buyers. That’s why thoroughly vacuuming the floors and carpets is essential and regular maintenance afterward. It’s okay for your pet to shed and that you’re used to it – but you should know that not everyone likes having pet hair all around their homes. So, if you want to sell the house fast, ensure your property is suitable for most people and their lifestyles.

Vacuum any pet hair that might be visible.

5.     Remove any personal items – and the ones of your pet

Depersonalization of a home is one of the basic steps of every home staging process. Removing personal items such as family photos, religious or political items, etc., is vital, so buyers don’t feel like snooping through your home once they come to see the property. However, home staging for pet owners should include a couple more things on this list – pet toys, photos of you and your furry friend, leashes, pet beds/cages, etc.

Remember: don’t throw away the items your pets use; replace them with new ones after you move into a new home. The moving process is stressful for pets, and one way to keep them calm during this is to have all their favorites by their side. The familiar smell will help them stay peaceful and accustom to the new environment a lot easier.

Remove your pet’s toys when you are staging your home.

6.     Clean the windows

If your pet loves to look outside, they often press their cute noses against the glass. This can result in multiple window stains, so clean that up before buyers arrive. Remove paw prints or saliva from all areas, but be especially careful when ti comes to glass and reflective surfaces.

7.     Take care of your yard

Finally, taking care of your curb appeal also belongs to the home staging process. Pet owners should pay attention to cleaning up their yard from all the things their pets may have left and ensure buyers don’t step into something smelly.

8.     Keep the house in good condition – find a temporary home for your furry friend

The best way to keep your home in good condition until the perfect buyer comes is to find temporary housing for you and your pet. This way, you can prepare the property and keep it clean until the sale is final. Think if your pet can stay with a friend, a family member, or another place where they’ll be comfortable and peaceful. This way, you’ll make sure that these home staging tips for pet owners are not in vain and that your home is spotless.