9 Top Tips for Pet Owners Trying to Sell Their Home

Getting ready to move is a big decision and although it’s very exciting, it can also be a stressful time.  There are so many parts to the puzzle that need to be taken care of when deciding to sell your home.  Decluttering, deep cleaning, and keeping it clean for open houses and showings.  All of this can become a lot of work and if you have any children or pets, keeping the house “show ready” can be nearly impossible.  Children seem to accumulate a large following of toys, candy wrappers, socks and crumbs that follow them everywhere.  I try to do a declutter the playroom and kids rooms 2-3 times a year but everything always grows back!

My husband and I have been trying to get our house ready to sell.  His goal is to move in the next year, I am not 100% sure we will hit that mark but either way, we are working to get things ready here.  Updating the landscaping, clearing out things we don’t really need, having a cleaning girl come two times a week to keep things more manageable and more.  I have been trying to keep the kitchen counters clear (nearly impossible) and not always have 500 art supplies and papers on our dining room table.  These are easier things for me to control than the kids and the dog.

My friend Eliza is a local realtor.  She and her mom are THE go-to realtors for my particular development.  I reached out to Liza for some tips on how to keep your house “show-ready” when you have pets (in my world pets include children, hah!) It was great to get an insiders perspective on what are the dos and don’t.  If you want to check out Liza’s website you can find her HERE

Before you get started I suggest making a trip to Walmart to pick up your supplies.  When it comes to cleaning I rely on quality brands like Bounty® , Swiffer® , Tide® , Unstopables™and Charmin® to make my home and move clean and simple.

9 Top Tips for Pet Owners Trying to Sell Their Home

1. Be sure the Charmin® Ultra Strong toilet paper is facing the right way and have a spare roll of toilet paper for your open house. Charmin® Ultra Strong is 2-ply toilet paper  and allows you to use up to 4X less so your visitors won’t run out while you’re not there.
2. Keep the toilet lid down.  It looks better and you don’t want your dog drinking from it.
3. Keep your curtains and linens looking like new by washing them with Tide PODS ®.  Be sure to get all the dog hair off the bottom of any long drapes.  Also, Laundry should never be running during a showing
4. Febreeze the “dog spot” on the couch and the crate bed to provide instant burst of airy undertones and crisp, vibrant layers that last for up to 6 hours.  Way better than wet dog smells!!
5. Do a quick once over of all hardwood and tile floors with the Swiffer WetJet.  The Swiffer WetJet breaks up and dissolves tough messes to give your floors a powerful clean. It will help get up all paw prints and dirt that dogs drag in from the yard.
6. Wipe down surfaces with Bounty Select-a- Size Paper Towels before visitors arrive to be sure your counters have extra shine
7. Keep Bounty Select-a- Size Paper Towels in a visible spot in case someone needs one. A lot of paper towels get used during showings by visitors tracking in mud or spilling something.
8. Have a neighbor close by that could take him/her for an hour during the showing
9. Have a quick spot where you can put your dogs toys, bowl, etc (preferably something with a lid)

Also, check out this handy guide from Febreeze A Guide to Eliminating Pet Odors

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post with Acorn Influence.  I was compensated for this post but all ideas are my own