The 5 worst real estate pet peeves doesn’t cover interesting things that buyers and sellers do while buying and selling their homes- it really is about the pets (as in animals) and peevish problems they can cause during a real estate transaction.  It’s safe to say from personal experience that 90%+ of the pet owners make an effort to contain, remove or subdue unruly pets during showings.  And in most cases -it’s difficult to know that pets are members of the household- no oders, no fur flying around the floor and chewed furniture or wood work is evident.

The 5 worst real estate pet peeves surface when:

• Owners try to clean urine saturated carpets in lieu of replacing carpeting and padding.  The lingering oder is far worse because adding water to the problem seems to amplify the smells.  If you have animals who have destroyed the carpet- remove the carpet and padding and check the sub-flooring for stains and moisture.  Sometimes it’s necessary to replace wood subflooring before laying new carpet and padding.  This is one pet peeve that cannot be swept under the carpet!
• Crazy animals lose during showings.  Over the years I’ve had the pleasure of cornering huge loving dogs, grabbing cats and even experienced petting a very friendly pot bellied pig- but not all buyers are animal lovers.  If you cannot easily “contain” your pets for showings- at least allow your agent to warn potential buyers about what to expect.  For example- large dog is locked in laundry room- with a sign on the laundry room door – do not open.  This way -buyers and their agent know what to expect when they arrive at your house.  Cats who like to bolt out the front door also need to be secured in a room.  Chasing a lose cat down the street is not a good way to sell your home.
• Snakes, lizards and other reptiles – same process.  Make sure they are in a secure environment and, if you have a very large collection, a heads up to the showing agent will make things much easier.  Potential buyers may have young children with them and the best way to quickly terminate a showing is when a scared, hysterical child is screaming bloody murder.
• Allergies are a big concern today.  Pet dander, fur, smelling blankets and toys should be minimized.  Swiffers are wonderful and smart sellers run not only dust and vacuum before they leave -they also “swiffer” not carpeted flooring.
• Finally- please don’t douse he house with lavender, vanilla or other scented sprays to mask pet oders.  Sometimes the fix is worse than the problem.  Heavily scented properties usually leads potential buyers to attacks of wheezing or coughing…..and they can’t wait to exit the property.

Sellers who are procative about minimizing or eliminating “pet peeves” increase their chances of capturing the next buyer.  Dealing with the problems before the property hits the market is always better than waiting for negative feedback from showings.  If you cannot “smell” the problem and your listing agent asks you about the oders- you have a “pet peeve” issue and shouldn’t hesitate to ask for resources to help resolve.