For those with pets who have sold a home or those who are interested in buying a house...

We have 5 cats and we know in the next few years we'd like to buy a new house which means selling this one. We have a central air cleaning system so everyone who comes into our home always says "wow, do you really have cats? It doesn't look or smell like it!". We really don't have anyone who would be willing to take any of them in until our house got sold.

Most of my cats hide anyway when people are in the house that they don't know. 2 of them are a little more friendly and of course there are the 3 big food bowls (we have the continuous feeders), water fountain and litter boxes in the basement so it would be hard to say that no animals live there. For those who sold your home and have animals, what did you do with them when people came to look at your home?

For those who are in the market for a house, would you walk away from a clean house that had all new appliances and other selling features you wanted b/c the house had cats in it? What if the seller offered to have the house professionally cleaned for you after they moved out.

Just curious... DH and I were talking about this topic recently and I wanted to get a sense of how to handle such a situation with a potential buyer.

Message edited 1/1/2008 11:47:12 AM.

Re: For those with pets who have sold a home or those who are interested in buying a house...

We just bought our home and the sellers had a dog but since the house didn't smell and was very clean it didn't bother me. I did go to see another house that I really liked but wouldn't consider because as soon as you walked in you could smell the dog. Personally, as long as it doesn't smell, I think you will be fine.

Re: For those with pets who have sold a home or those who are interested in buying a house...

Personally, we have a dog so we wouldnt, but some people are severely allergic to cats, even if it doesnt smell like you have cats. That could be why they walk away or they have family that is allergic to them. It stinks, but my FIL has really bad allergies, we have 2 ferrets who are caged 99% of the time and when he comes over he spends alot of time outside b/c of them.

Re: For those with pets who have sold a home or those who are interested in buying a house...

If the home didn't smell like cats and everything was clean I wouldn't walkj away. I think you will be ok.

Re: For those with pets who have sold a home or those who are interested in buying a house...

Re: For those with pets who have sold a home or those who are interested in buying a house...

Message edited 3/3/2011 10:09:32 AM.

Re: For those with pets who have sold a home or those who are interested in buying a house...

Re: For those with pets who have sold a home or those who are interested in buying a house...

i think as long as is doesnt smell like pets you shouldnt be worried

Re: For those with pets who have sold a home or those who are interested in buying a house...

I want to say no, but since I am pretty severly allergic to cats and if I found out that someone had 5 cats in the house I would probably continue to look. Not saying that if I absolutely fell in love with the house I would rule it out, but it would be something I would have to give a bunch of thought on.

Re: For those with pets who have sold a home or those who are interested in buying a house...

We've had many people with allergies in the house, no one ever has an issue. There are hardly any rugs in the house and the one's that are here are the burbur (sp?) tightly woven rugs that honestly, I steam clean monthly in addition to almost daily vacuuming. The only time allergies ever came into account was on my living room couches b/c they like to sleep on them. But those obviously would move with us. My basement couches are leather, the better choice for pet owners we have learned.

This is all good to know... overall I don't think we'll have a problem and the only clutter right now is from Christmas decorations We won't be selling for a bit, but I was always curious as to how the little critters would be recieved.

Re: For those with pets who have sold a home or those who are interested in buying a house...

since i have three cats, It wouldnt bother me at all

Re: For those with pets who have sold a home or those who are interested in buying a house...

I agree with the PP who said that as long as it is clean and clutter free, you will be fine.

I have 2 kitties myself, so I wouldn't be bothered by it at ALL! I would probably be MORE likely to purchase from a fellow cat lover!

Re: For those with pets who have sold a home or those who are interested in buying a house...

The only thing that might deter me from a house that was very clean and did not smell like animals is if there was wall to wall carpeting everywhere . - ONLY b/c I have severe allergies and I know I'd have no other choice but to pull up that carpeting before moving in to the house ....no matter HOW clean you are no one can do anything about the pet hair and dander that gets into the carpeting -

...otherwise, absolutely not.

Re: For those with pets who have sold a home or those who are interested in buying a house...

If I loved the house and the price was right, plus cleaning and closing costs, I might buy, but truthfully since I am very allergic it would be a negative.

Re: For those with pets who have sold a home or those who are interested in buying a house...

Personally I would be concerned that potential buyers might be allergic to the cats. I know so many people that are allergic to cats and with 5 of them, you are bound to set off that allergy no matter how clean your home is!

I would see if you could board them for the day when you are having open houses, and try to have realtors schedule appts on Sat & Sun so you could maybe just board them for the weekend.....

And, I would definitely put the food, water and liter boxes out of site while you have people looking at the house.

Good luck!

Re: For those with pets who have sold a home or those who are interested in buying a house...

Our house is on the market and we have 2 dogs. When we show the house or have an open house, we have to take the dogs out, and we put away their food and water too.

Cats are different - they can't really go out for walks like our dogs! - but I would think if your house doesn't smell, the litter box and food dishes are clean, tidy, and also not smelly, and their hair isn't all over the place, most non-allergic buyers (myself included) would be fine with it. Offering to get the house professionally cleaned would be an added bonus, IMO.

Re: For those with pets who have sold a home or those who are interested in buying a house...

we have a dog.. and when our house was on the market, we bought a roomba that ran every day to keep it vaccumed, i also constantly cleaned to keep the smell out in case people came to see the house.
as far as when people came to see the house, we would get the dog out. luckily DH worked close to the house, and MIL doesn't work... so the one time we had a showing during the work day, he was able to run home and take the dog to MILs house for a little bit. any other time, we would just take him with us. but, one dog is totally different than 5 cats! LOL so that might not be possible for you... but it sounds like they stay out of people's way
i agree that as long as you keep it neat and clean ( which it sounds like you do) it shouldn't be a problem. the biggest thing for us selling our house was just keeping it decluttered, and we actually moved a bunch of stuff out before we even put it on the market to make the closets look bigger, etc..... we sold our house in about 3 weeks

Message edited 1/3/2008 5:58:20 PM.

Re: For those with pets who have sold a home or those who are interested in buying a house...

As long as the house looked and smelled clean I think it wouldn't bother me. When we were looking we saw a house with 5 dogs and right away I said no way! But that house smelled and looked like 5 dogs lived there.

Re: For those with pets who have sold a home or those who are interested in buying a house...

I am very allergic to cats, so knowing that there are 5 cats in the house would be a deterrent for me. However, if there were no carpets, I would be more inclined to consider it.

Re: For those with pets who have sold a home or those who are interested in buying a house...

I'm also very allergic to cats and dogs , but the house we bought had 3 dogs and 3 cats I believe. They were pigs and didn't keep their house very clean at all. Unfortunately there were urine stains in a lot of places (like the hardwood floors..we replaced those) and they had carpet on the 1st level that we had to completely rip up because of lots of urine stains. My DH and I had a lot of vision with this house needless to say. (pics in album). Now we have a clean house and it doesn't smell anymore.

So if I had walked into your house, I would have been much more happy. I'm sure you will sell your house with no problem due to the cats. GL!