Welcome guest blogger Cindy Aldridge from Our Dog Friends. She’s sharing lots of insight into what it means to buy and sell a home when you have a dog. Enjoy!
Selling and Buying a Home with a Dog: A Two-Sided Perspective
Maintaining sanity during a move can seem nearly impossible, and your dog is certainly experiencing plenty of anxieties throughout the process, as well. Selling your home and then finding the right house for both you and your dog are only the first steps in a smooth transition process. Once you have found a home, conquering moving day and helping your dog feel at ease in your new abode are next on the checklist.
Selling Your Home: Be Mindful of Your Dog’s Mess
According to The Balance, your dog can be a red flag for homebuyers. Fair or not, a potential buyer may not be comfortable around a pet when vetting potential homes. Further, pets may be associated with damage, strange odors, or other often irrational negative impressions of a home. For this reason, concealing the fact that you own a dog before showing your home is wise.
Ask a friend or family member if they would be willing to watch the dog during the showing hours, and if they won’t, it would be wise to hire a trusted hand to ensure the dog is out of the home. In addition, do a thorough walk-through of the home, putting away any bowls, toys, and other dog-related paraphernalia. U.S. News and World Report recommends having a neutral party do the same to catch anything you may have missed. Don’t forget the outside of the home, either.
While this whitewashing of your beloved mutt may seem somewhat callous to dog-lovers, it is in your financial interests, and your pup won’t mind avoiding the presence of strangers who may not be dog lovers anyway. When the time comes to bring the dog back home post-showing, ensure that you put back all dog-related items so that they feel immediately comfortable upon returning. The next task is ensuring that the home you move into has all the trappings of a dog haven.
Familiarity: The Key to a Dog’s Comfort
Cesar’s Way outlines a healthy approach to moving a dog into a new home. While it can be tempting to let the dog have free reign of the new pad, a bit of restraint is recommended. First, take the dog for a long walk. Keeping it on a leash, introduce it room-by-room to the house, not spending too much time in any one room. While this approach is most pertinent for puppies who have yet to be well-trained, it can also be effective in ensuring older dogs do not wreak havoc on the home.
However, toeing the line between authoritarianism and exuding the warmth you want your dog to feel in your new home is important. Your pooch may not be aware of boundaries in the new property, so keeping fences up where necessary and outside doors closed is crucial in avoiding a disappearing dog.
The Bark suggests spending time on the floor with your dog, utilizing some of its favorite toys to keep a positive energy flowing throughout the new environment. In addition, maintaining old routines such as walks, fetch, and feeding can help reduce the anxiety and uncertainty which your dog will certainly be experiencing. If possible, introducing the dog to the new home before you move in is ideal, as it can breed a sense of familiarity which should ease the process of moving permanently.
Conclusion
The process of selling a home is fraught with potential hitches, including finding market-rate pricing, updating the home for modern appeal, and simply finding the right buyers. By eliminating any signs that you own a dog, you will only increase your chances of a sale. However, your new home should be made as dog-friendly as possible, as quickly as possible. While maintaining discipline and routine, making your dog feel that the new home is truly its home is a top priority.