Pets are with us when we are happy, sad, energetic, sleepy, AND, of course, when we are moving home - they are family after all!
At Crane & Co we are all animal lovers and have pets too, ranging from a hamster to goats, dogs, cats and horses. We completely understand that a loved and cherished family pet needs to be carefully considered during the marketing and viewing of your family home.
We often notice how interested some pets seem while we are doing our work. Recently while photographing a client’s home, their Siamese cat was very intent on getting front and centre in every shot (how Siamese!) A fair amount of gentle encouragement out of shot prevented this house looking like a house with 12 identical cats! Some dogs might treat us as their new best friends while others may eye visitors cautiously from a corner of the room.
So how do we make sure your pets are cared for when visitors come to view your home?
It’s time to meet your pets!
One of the first things we do, when instructed to sell a home, is to arrange what we call a ‘staff familiarisation visit.’ It’s an important meeting when our sales consultants and viewing specialists come to meet you to learn all about your home. They can then answer all the usual questions buyers pose during viewings, as well as understand your personal circumstances, and, perhaps most important of all, ensure that buyers understand all the benefits of buying your home.
Being able to discuss a home with a potential buyer with confident knowledge about the finer details helps us do our work better and helps your sale progress more quickly and efficiently.
Familiarisation visit
During our familiarisation visit of your home, it’s a perfect time to meet your pets, give them some fuss and perhaps even a treat or two. Meeting your pets, understanding your wishes and your pet’s needs, helps ensure that this important family member is well cared for, especially during our viewing events.
Some owners have house cats or pets that have to stay inside. We can discuss how we can access the house while keeping your pet safe, leaving you confident in the knowledge that your pets are in good hands.
If you have nervous pets that might be easily worried , we have found that meeting your pets early on can help significantly reduce their anxiety.
Some sellers have had great results with home plug-in pet calming diffusers that may help relieve common signs of stress for enhanced serenity. You might also want to think about leaving blankets out or creating a covered area, so they have a space to hide. Leave some toys out - there is always time to settle your pet’s nerves (and for us to have a little play-time with them first).
The viewing day itself….
Pet convenience
Think about adding a stairgate to a dedicated room that your pet is used to being in, so they can settle in a place where they feel safe and comfortable. If your prefer, we can always let them go into the garden to play while we are at your home, just remember to leave some treats so we can get them back in (and something for us to wipe their feet with if this is something you normally do).
Some viewers might be hesitant about dogs, and other pets can be a distraction too; if they are the type that want to grab visitor’s attention. Dogs can get very excited with new people arriving at their home which can inadvertently distract buyers attention away from the property itself.
Much more convenient
The Crane & Co viewing events contain the viewings all one day and create a real buzz through enhanced buyer activity. By creating viewing events, sellers are less inconvenienced (and their pets too!) as all the viewings are conducted in one run on one day. It’s often a great opportunity for sellers to take their dog out for long walk or catch up with friends in a dog friendly park or woodland for some fresh air and a bit of exercise.
Pet odours
You might not necessarily be aware of pet odours that could be lingering around the home. If you’re unsure – ask us or a close friend to tell you if there are odours to try and deal with. It’s a good time to keep their beds washed and open a window. Strong pet odours can have quite a negative effect on some buyers, so dealing with odours will definitely have a positive effect all round.
Food for thought
If your pet is due a feed while we are there, do let us know, leave their food out for us and we’ll take care of that too (pet bribery is great)!
At the end of the viewing event we’ll check that all is well with your pet and return them to the room or rooms that you allow them to have access to, checking that they are settled before we leave.
We hope this article has given you some comfort in the knowledge that our team are well versed in pet care and consideration. Don’t forget, the familiarisation visit is a great opportunity for you to help us understand yours and your pet's needs.
So, if your cat, dog, snake, budgie or horse is thinking of moving home (and you are too), let’s get chatting. Just call in or pick up the phone and leave the rest to us.