Selling a House When You Have Pets: How to Prepare for Showings

Pets are part of the family, but when you're selling your home, you have to remember that not every buyer walking through the door is going to feel the same way about them.

That doesn't mean you need to hide every sign that a dog or cat lives there. It does mean you want to make sure buyers notice your house first—not your pets.

And the best place to start is with something homeowners often don't realize is there: pet odor.

Start With a Deep Clean, Not an Air Freshener

We all become a little nose-blind to our own homes. That's completely normal. When you live with a smell every day, you eventually stop noticing it.

If you have pets, especially dogs, it's worth having someone who doesn't live in the house give you an honest opinion before you list.

If there is a pet odor, don't try to cover it up with plug-ins, sprays or heavily scented candles. Now the house may smell like dog and artificial fragrance.

Some buyers are also very sensitive to fragrances, and a strong artificial scent can make them wonder what you're trying to cover up.

Instead, tackle the source.

Have carpets professionally cleaned if needed. Wash or clean area rugs, dog beds, blankets and washable slipcovers. If your pets spend time on upholstered furniture, consider having that cleaned as well.

Don't forget the less obvious places either—fabric curtains, throw pillows and even the car-sized dog bed sitting in the corner can hold odors.

Let Fresh Air Do Some of the Work

When the weather cooperates, open the windows and let fresh air circulate through the house.

Obviously, that's easier on a beautiful spring day than it is in January in the Northeast. If it's cold outside, even opening a few windows briefly before a showing can help freshen the house without filling it with artificial fragrance.

The goal isn't to make the house smell like something.

Ideally, it should simply smell clean and fresh.

If You Want a Welcoming Scent, Keep It Natural—and Subtle

If you're home before a showing and want the house to have a pleasant scent, think simple rather than artificial.

Try simmering orange slices with cinnamon and cloves, or lemon and rosemary, in a small pot of water on the stove. And this doesn't have to be something you do immediately before a showing. If you're heading out to work in the morning, simmer it while you're getting ready and turn off the stove before you leave.

If you search Amazon for a "glass pot for potpourri," you'll find inexpensive options that are pretty enough to leave sitting on the stove after you've turned off the heat. The house gets a fresh, natural scent, and you don't have to rely on plug-ins or artificial air fresheners.

And if you happen to love baking, there's always the old-fashioned option: bake cookies.

Imagine walking into a house and smelling freshly baked cookies instead of a wall plug-in.

You can even leave a few out with a little note:

"Thanks for coming—please have a cookie!"

It's a small touch, but it can make the house feel warm and welcoming.

What Should You Do With Your Dog During Showings?

Whenever possible, take your dog with you.

Even if your dog is incredibly friendly, buyers don't know that. Some people are afraid of dogs. Others may be allergic, and some buyers simply aren't comfortable walking through a house with an unfamiliar dog following them.

Putting the dog in a crate isn't always the best solution either. A dog who is normally perfectly happy in a crate may bark continuously when strangers enter the house—and that's not exactly the relaxed showing experience you're trying to create.

If possible, take your dog for a walk, go for a drive or arrange for a friend, neighbor or dog walker to help during showings.

Cats can be a little different, especially indoor cats that shouldn't be let outside. Make sure your agent knows there is a cat in the house and whether buyers need to be especially careful around exterior doors.

And don't forget about the litter box. If you have a cat, keep the litter box cleaned regularly while your home is on the market and clean it again before showings whenever possible. Just like other pet odors, you may not notice the smell anymore, but someone walking into your home for the first time might.

Don't Forget the Yard

If you have a dog, do a quick check of the yard before showings.

Buyers are going to walk around outside, look at the deck, check out the backyard and possibly walk the property. The last thing you want is for someone's tour of the backyard to include an unfortunate surprise on the bottom of their shoe.

Keep the yard picked up, food and water bowls clean, and toys reasonably contained.

You don't need to erase every sign that a pet lives there. You just don't want pet-related items to become clutter or distract buyers from the house.

Repair the Evidence of Pet Damage

Odor isn't the only thing to look for before listing.

Take a walk through the house and look at it from a buyer's perspective. Are there scratched doors? Chewed trim? Damaged screens? Claw marks on a hardwood floor? A section of carpet that's seen better days?

You may have stopped noticing those things years ago, but a buyer walking through for the first time probably won't.

That doesn't mean you need to replace every floor because your dog put a few scratches in the hardwood. It means it's worth deciding which pet-related damage should be repaired before the house goes on the market and which things are better left alone.

You Don't Have to Hide the Fact That You Have Pets

The goal isn't to hide the fact that you have pets. It's to make sure buyers are paying attention to the things you actually want them thinking about—the rooms, the light, the layout, the backyard and whether they can picture themselves living there.

A clean home, fresh air, a clean litter box, a picked-up yard and a plan for where your pets will go during showings can make a big difference.