Avoid Scaring Potential Home Buyers; How to Get Rid of Pet Odors

dog-getting-bathBy: Kristie Lorette

Cats, dogs and other furry friends are members of our families. But when it comes to selling your home, many potential homebuyers don't want to meet these family members - and they certainly don't want to smell them as they walk through the front door.

If you're in the process of getting your home ready to put on the market, you have a lot of work ahead of you. One of your primary goals is going to be to ensure that your house doesn't smell like your pets. Fortunately, you can be proactive about this and lower your risk of turning off potential home buyers.

Temporarily Relocate Pets

Talk with family members or friends you can trust to take care of your pets during the home selling process. Getting your pets out of the home allows you to work on getting the pet odor out and keeping it out. If this is not an option, bathe your pets and keep up with cleaning the litter boxes and the rest of your home.

Let the Fresh Air In

After relocating or cleaning your pets, now it is time to work on getting the odor out of the house. Start, by opening all of the windows in your home to let in the fresh air. Opening the windows allows the fresh air from outside to circulate through the home and helps to sweep out the odor your pet leaves behind. While you have the windows open, now is also a good time for an early spring cleaning.

Scrub It

Pet odor seeps into every nook and cranny of your home. The only way to get the pet odor out is to clean and scrub it out. Take down any curtains or fabrics that may capture odor and wash them or have them dry cleaned. During the selling process, you might want to keep the items stored so that they don't continue to absorb the pet odor. Shampoo any carpets in your home and wash or dry clean any throw rugs. Use a bleach solution or cleaning product appropriate for the type of flooring that you have in your home to scrub out the pet odor there as well.

Scent It

You want your home to smell as fresh and clean as possible. Use air fresheners and scented candles to help maintain the fresh and clean scent of your home. Light the scented candles prior to prospects coming to view the home and keep the air fresheners open or on during the entire home selling process. Strategically placing bowls of potpourri is another option for helping to maintain the fresh and clean scent you've worked so hard to create.

Paint or Seal It

After all of this, if you're still having problems getting rid of the pet odor, it might be because the odor has seeped into the walls of your home. Adding a fresh coat of paint can help with this. Sealing brick or wood walls can also help to trap the odor in and prohibit it from seeping out.

While you love your pets, potential homebuyers do not want to smell them. As you prepare your home to put it on the market, concentrate on getting rid of the pet odor once and for all.

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