Are You a Pet Lover?

I am! And if you are, we are not alone. Pets are part of the American dream, right along with apple pie and the desire for home ownership. Fifty-six percent of all homes now have pets. And pet lovers are estimated to spend approximately $75.38 billion in 2019 on their pets, most of which will go for food and veterinarian services. But, whether a cat, dog, pig, birds or gerbils, pets can take a toll on the value of your home when it comes time to sell if it has not been properly maintained.

Dogs and cats can do a considerable amount of damage to furniture, rugs, carpet, hardwood floor, walls and baseboards. I know all this from personal experience. As much as I love my two poodles, Peaches and Hapa, I’m having a hard time with the ‘doggy’ smells in my carpet, even though it was just cleaned two weeks ago. So, the next step is carpet replacement which can cost upwards of $5,000 +, only to be replaced again in a few years. And Hapa’s ‘leg lift’ on the wall raises my blood pressure! Peaches loves to look out the living room window and bark at all the passer-bys. But, that means her favorite chair needs to be regularly steam cleaned and the window sill repainted, along with the door to the powder room which she loves to scratch. So get out that gallon of paint you’ve got stored in the garage.

If you’re thinking about selling your home, you need to pet proof it. After all, you might end up selling to one of the 44% of future home buyers who do not have a pet. So that means do your very best to remove the pet  odors which almost always means new flooring. Even your yard may be smelly so make sure you perform a poop patrol before every showing. Aerate and seed those brown and yellow spots and if you have to, replace those bare spots with new sod.

When strangers come into your home, make sure your pets are either kenneled in the garage or better yet at a play date. Even if you have spend $35 for a day at doggie day care it’s worth it when it comes time for a showing. You should also read your homeowner’s insurance policy to make sure it covers pet bites. One frequently asked question from buyers who are pet lovers is whether or not the covenants, codes and restrictions for the community allow pets and if so, how many and what size? The Municipality of Anchorage also has pet restrictions. Every pet is required to be licensed and have a rabies shot. Four or more pets in a household requires a kennel license. I once lived in a very nice community four doors down from a dog musher! But, no one complained.

Visit me Sunday  from 1-4 pm in WestGate with ranches and two story homes located just minutes away from Kincaid Park!