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November 6, 2024 9:15 pm
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Pets Or Kids: Which Causes More Damage To Your Home? – The Mortgage Note

They’re cute and lovable, but having pets or children means additional wear and tear on a property. And that can impact its resale value.

As far as which is worse, the answer is pretty consistent across the board with multiple industry professionals.

“I find pets have a bigger impact on everything,” said Jules Zaphire, a real estate professional at The Pantiga Group. “Some will bite the molding or will poop and pee in the home. This really does affect how the property shows because it can smell when you walk in.”

Gabriella Lisi, a realtor associate at RE/MAX Revolution, said pet smells can be as big a turnoff to buyers as the smell of cigarette smoke.

“If you smoke inside the house, eventually the smell is not detectable to the homeowner. However, it is not until a nonsmoker enters the home that they realize the odor is overpowering,” said Lisi.

Bill Maier, sales manager at United Mortgage, said minor destruction from pets won’t reduce the appraisal value of a home.

“It could, however, affect what someone is willing to pay for a property if a potential buyer walks in and the home smells like urine or if the backyard is destroyed from a dog digging holes and there’s poop everywhere,” said Maier.

Be aware that kids can do their fair share of damage as well.

Wade Dew, a real estate agent for RE/MAX Revolution, said that children can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage to a home.

“I’ve heard of action figures being flushed down the toilet resulting in major plumbing issues or they turn on the bathtub and flood the bathroom which then leaks to the bottom floor,” said Dew. “This type of damage can change things very quickly in a house.”

Most typical messes created by children are more easily fixable.

“You can paint over drawings on the walls or wipe up spilled juice,” said Maier.

When preparing a home for a showing where there are either pets or kids, cleanliness is important.

“You cannot overdo the cleaning. In many cases, I’ve seen it still look dirty because the dog or cat’s fur is everywhere or it will still smell bad because there has been no upkeep throughout the years,” explained Zaphire. “Clean, clean, clean.”

“Even just an open bag of dog food has a certain odor that may not be inviting so keep that bag sealed tight,” explained Rob Jensen, broker/owner of the Rob Jensen Company. “Pay a little extra attention to these things while selling because people who don’t have pets will notice them immediately.”

Jensen said sellers should replace damaged carpets and drapes. Wood floors with scratches should be refinished before showings.

Toys and stuffed animals should be stowed away in an organized fashion. Otherwise, it paints the picture that the home is smaller than it actually is or that it does not have enough storage.

“If dolls and tennis balls are all over the floor, a potential buyer could think, ‘Do they not have anywhere better to put this stuff?’” said Lisi.

The clean theme should also extend outdoors.

“Make sure your backyard is clean because if you are doing a walk through, a possible buyer could be super turned off if they step right in poop,” added Lisi.

For sellers who want to ensure that their home is ready to be put on the market, the best and most reassuring route one can take is to have a pre-meeting with an agent because they will tell you the flaws that need to be addressed before showings start.

“I do this day in and day out and I know where to look and what to look for,” said Dew. “If you want to take it a step further, bring in a professional for a pre-inspection because they will not hold back on the changes you need to make.”

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