Moving is stressful enough with just people, right? When you throw pest into the mix though, it can be even more overwhelming. Here are my top tips for going through this whole process with pets, and keeping your sanity!

Getting Ready to Sell

• Have your house professionally cleaned. I provide this service to all of my clients, and a professional cleaning *alone* can make SUCH a huge difference.
• Consider having your carpets professionally cleaned as well, OR having them replaced.
• A fresh coat of paint will go a long way, especially if there are scuffs or scratches on the walls.
• Have your couch(es) cleaned. Sounds silly, but it can really freshen up the space.
• Double-check your yard. Is there dog poop everywhere, holes in the ground, or scratches on the fence?
• SMELL is often the biggest issue I see with houses with pets:
  • Spray this if there are any stinky spots.
  • Have a friend or family member (who doesn’t live with you) walk into your house and tell you if there are any pet smells. We get used to our own environment, so you might not be able to tell!
  • Try spraying this on your furniture.
  • Be careful when using an air freshener/candle. Sometimes if you try to cover up a pet smell, and the air freshener is too strong, it just makes it worse!

During Showings

• Removing your dog during showings is the best-case scenario. If you can’t do that, then I’d highly recommend crating them in an out-of-the-way place.
• If this is overwhelming, you can always restrict the hours you allow showings too! There’s nothing wrong with that! For example, if removing your dog is too stressful on weeknights after you’ve been at work all day, you don’t have to allow showings every weeknight.
• Test out your plan for showings. Crate your dog, and have a friend or family member act as if they are showing the house. Does the dog bark the entire time? It sounds silly, but noise like that can ruin the showing experience for a potential buyer.
• Have your real estate agent make a note of where your dog will be in the showing instructions.

Moving With a Pet

• The best case scenario of moving with a dog is to move your dog to your new house first, to minimize the stress on everyone. Not sure how you can buy your new home before you sell your old one? I have a free guide for that here.
• Make sure your dog is microchipped or consider extra measures to make sure they are safe and secure when you’re moving in.
• Double-check to make sure that your new yard is secure.
• Look out for your dog peeing in random places. Either the new house freaks them out, or they are trying to mark their new territory. I like this stuff for removing the smell, so once they’ve peed in one place they don’t go back and do it over again!
• If you have a puppy, arm yourself with puppy pee pads! Even if they’re potty trained, the stress could cause a relapse.
• Give your dog (and yourself) extra grace! Spend extra time with your pet and be generous with affection, treats, and walks.