Tips for pet owners who are selling their homes.

Owning a pet can make a house feel like home - but not all prospective buyers will share this sentiment. While some buyers will view it as a massive perk to have a pet-friendly property, others might view it as a potential downside if the property shows signs of a pet's proclivity for chewing the skirting boards or the failed potty-training efforts.

Staging and marketing plays an important role in selling a pet-friendly home. You want to attract fellow pet lovers, as these kinds of buyers might even be willing to pay more for a pet-friendly property. At the same time, you want to avoid excluding buyers without pets, as they will still make up a large portion of the buyer's pool. It's all about getting the balance right.

To help pet owning sellers strike this balance, here are some of the top tips on how to properly stage and market the home:

• Conduct a deep clean of the property, including all carpets.
• Repaint all interior walls. Not only will this get rid of scuff marks, but it will also leave the home smelling fresh.
• Fix any pet-related damage, like chewed skirting boards or stained carpets.
• Before any viewing appointment, sweep and vacuum and remove pet hair from the furniture.
• Keep the garden well maintained and clean, being sure to remove any pet droppings before viewings and cleaning up any chewy messes that might have been left in the garden.
• Include a cute photo of your pet in the listing photos that showcases how pet-friendly the property can be.
• Let your agent know of all the pet facilities / perks in the area so that it can be included in the listing description of your property.
• Take your pet out with you when buyers come for a viewing appointment. This allows buyers to explore the home free from interruption from an over-excited guard dog. If they happen to catch you leaving with the pet (perhaps take it for a walk) it could again highlight how pet-friendly the area is.

More and more buyers are actively looking for homes that are pet friendly. Sellers who work with a real estate agent who knows how to market the home correctly could stand to benefit greatly from this trend. To find out more about the buyer trends that are specific to your area.

When you consider that buyers tend to mostly look at properties in their price range, it makes sense to employ elements of home staging to make the property stand out from the rest. The main reason you want it to stand out is to help it sell faster and at the highest possible price.

More than the price, the condition of the property, the structure or the layout, the final decision for a buyer tends to be based on a feeling they have about the property - and that has a lot to do with what a property looks, feels, and even smells like. People need to be able to imagine themselves living in the space, which is what home staging helps to do.

Luckily this doesn't mean putting all your own things in storage, recruiting an interior designer, or spending vast amounts of money. The art of home staging is all about moving things around for better placement, a few magic touches and just a dash of imagination to ensure the property is the best (ad)dressed.

Here are some tips:

Clear the clutter.

Your own clutter is one thing. Somebody else's is a whole mess on its own! Clutter can be very off-putting because it immediately says 'chaos', so something as simple as ensuring surfaces are clutter-free, particularly in the kitchen and bathroom, already goes a long way in the staging process.

In order to make a home attractive to potential buyers, a staged home is artfully arranged to prevent squeezing through furniture and spaces and being visually overwhelmed by too much clutter. To have even a slight advantage, a property should be at its best to appeal to buyers.

Sweet scents

Looking good is one thing, smelling great is another! Scent has a surprisingly strong effect on our emotions and as such goes a long way in making a space more appealing. "It's a good idea to have a pot of coffee brewing or something tasty baking in the oven. Similarly, a scented candle or a mild, but refreshing, room spray can make a subtle difference." Also don't forget to take the rubbish out, wipe surfaces and clear the kitchen sink.

Let there be light!

Very few people enjoy walking into a dark and drab property, rather we're drawn to light and airy spaces. "Make a point of opening curtains or blinds, and the windows to allow fresh air in, when prospective buyers come to view the property, to allow natural light in.

Don't forget the outside!

While buyers are mostly concerned with the inside of the property, it doesn't hurt to pay attention to the outside. "The outside is what is seen first, so ensure the exterior is also neat and tidy and that, at the very least, the walkway to the entrance is unobstructed.

Since emotion has such an important role when choosing a property to buy, and home staging is all about ensuring that a property appeals to the emotions of prospective buyers, it is important not to underestimate the potential of things like order, natural light, and pleasing scents as these can go a long way towards selling your property fast and at the right price.

Extract From Property 24