Managing Pets During the Selling and Moving Process

Pets are a part of many families and they need to be taken into special consideration when selling a house, as well as during the actual move.

Your animals, especially dogs and cats, can become stressed with all of the unusual activity in your home as it is prepared for sale. In order to keep your pets safe and minimize their anxiety, as well as being sensitive to those people that will be entering your home (both vendors and potential buyers), we recommend either crating or removing pets from the home during these periods. Having them spend time at the dog park or at a friend’s home while vendors are prepping your home and while buyers are touring your residence will greatly reduce their nervousness.

Removing evidence of pets is also important because many buyers, even if they are animal people, consider pets in a home to be a deterrent. Tuck away Fido’s bed, hide the toy basket, and put your cat’s litter box outside or in the garage. This is especially important during the time your home is active on the market and being shown to possible buyers.

After you accept an offer and you’re in the escrow process, there will still be times, such as during buyer inspections, appraisals, and walk throughs during which your furry family members will benefit from a few hours away from home.

And, ultimately, you will have to consider how to best handle relocating your animals to your new residence, making the transition as easy and stress-free as possible. Read our article, Moving With Pets, for more advice on ways to ease this transition.

Your home is officially ready to go on the market! Click here to read more about what happens after your home is for sale to the public.