Love your pets but be practical, they can kill a deal if buyers are afraid or allergic. Here are some do’s and don’ts

BY AIMEE FITZPATRICK MARTIN
Special to Newsday

December 29, 2006

Many homeowners consider their pets to be more than just animals - they are beloved members of the family. When it comes to renting or selling a house, however, homeowners often don’t realize their furry, feathered or scaly friends may leave some potential buyers feeling they’re barking up the wrong tree.

“People don’t want to hear that their pet isn’t an attribute - it’s almost like insulting their mother,” says John de Reeder, an associate broker with Prudential Douglas Elliman in Mattituck. “Especially in today’s changing real estate marketplace, presentation is everything. Homeowners need to distinguish themselves from their competition in a good way and minimize any of the distractions - and pets are a distraction, no matter how cute they are.”
The distraction downside

From cats jumping onto kitchen counters and dogs barking incessantly during an open house to stinky litter boxes, unsightly stains, spilled food bowls, pet hair and dander on furniture and claw-damaged floors, the tell-tale signs of pets can be a huge turnoff for many buyers.

“If a dog or cat is around during a showing, I’ve found that a buyer either freaks out because they’re afraid of or allergic to animals, or they fall in love with the pet and don’t pay attention to the house,” notes Maria Rovegno, a broker with Prudential Douglas Elliman in Port Washington. “They may remember how much fun they had playing with your dog or cat, but not remember how many bedrooms your house had or what the kitchen looked like.”

Since first impressions are everything, what’s a pet-loving homeowner to do?

The best solution, many agents agree, is to keep Fido or Fifi away from the property during showings.

Jane Klinge, a busy mother of two, remembers how much work was involved in removing signs of Buster and Louie, the family’s French bulldogs, last winter when she and her husband, Jason, a building contractor, were trying to rent their Hampton Bays home for the summer after moving to Shinnecock Hills. The couple advertised their charming 1936 cottage in local papers and had an open listing with area real estate brokers, so Klinge never knew when she’d get a call to show the house.

“Sometimes I had a few days’ notice, and sometimes I had a few hours’ notice, if that,” she says. “I’d be running around like a maniac vacuuming up clumps of dog hair, opening up windows to freshen the air, throwing pet toys into the closet and putting the food and water bowls, dog beds and crate into my car. Then the dogs and I would vacate the house and take a walk or go do errands. It was a huge pain in the neck, but if you want a good showing of your house, I think you need to do it.”

Homeowners who are at work when an agent brings over a potential buyer might consider boarding pets with vets or kennels, or asking neighbors to take them.

Leaving a dog on a leash outside the house during a showing also may not be wise.

“I had a really hard sell recently where the owner tied up a huge 90-pound dog every time I had an open house, and people were scared to come in and see the house,” says Nanette Hansen, a broadcast journalist who is now a full-time sales associate with The Corcoran Group in East Hampton. “He was a gentle giant and his bark was worse than his bite, but the buyers didn’t know that.”

Prudential’s Veronica Mannarino had a similar tale of a Great Dane at a home she was selling in Smithtown recently.

“The owners expected everyone to pet and love the dog, but most people were petrified of him. He was a major part of each showing, and therefore the house wasn’t shown very often,” admits Mannarino, who says she has been “nipped at” by dogs during her career.

To crate or not to crate

Dr. Andrew Pepper, a Sag Harbor-based “traveling vet” who tends animals from Hampton Bays to Montauk, says confining an animal during a showing or open house “is the way to go.”

“An owner needs to know the temperament of their pet, or it could be a recipe for not selling your house,” he says. “Dogs can be very protective and territorial of their home - it’s what they’re supposed to do. If you bring a bunch of strangers in during an open house, it could lead to some aggression issues in the animal.”

Pepper recommends crating dogs when training them as puppies. “If you have a 10-year-old dog who’s never been crated, then it can be a stressful thing for them to suddenly be stuck in a cage.” But unlike some people who “think it’s like putting a dog in jail, from a dog’s perspective a crate is their safe and secure den - a place where they feel more reassured.”

As for cats, he says it’s better to confine them to a room or cage than risk having them escape when a real estate agent opens the front door.

Boarding option
Otherwise, he says, owners can board their pets at a place like the Hampton Pet Club in Water Mill, where rates go from $25 a half-day to $50 overnight.

Iris Saltzer, who is selling her three-bedroom condo in the Hunt Club in Jericho, says she realizes Anisette, her black standard poodle, may be a distraction to buyers. “No one wants a frisky, playful puppy jumping up, barking, or sniffing them,” she says.

So whenever Deborah Paley, Saltzer’s neighbor and listing agent from Century 21 Laffey in Greenvale, shows the condo, she takes Anisette to her home for a “puppy play date” with her own two dogs.

“It’s so convenient for me when I’m at work,” says Saltzer, a substitute teacher. “Plus Anisette is a very social dog and loves the play dates.”

Linda Scalia, a broker associate with Century 21 Agawam Albertson in Southold and a breeder of Great Pyrenees dogs, also takes customer service to the next level. If a homeowner has a big or hyper dog at home, she’ll sometimes bring her own crate and put the animal in her van during a showing.

“You never know who is going to walk into a home,” she says. “They could be extremely allergic to animals, or had a bad experience in the past.”

On the chirpy side

Barbara Stone, an agent with Prudential’s Bridgehampton office and publisher of the literary magazine Hampton Shorts, is a pet fancier who says she thinks the presence of Eeep, her pet lovebird, has actually helped when prospective buyers tour her house in Bridgehampton, which is on the market for more than $2 million.

“Whenever customers pass by Eeep’s cage, she lets out a loud chirp, which makes everyone laugh and relax a bit. It’s been a good icebreaker,” Stone says.

Aurora Keller, a broker associate with Prudential’s Sayville office, also says she believes her menagerie - a Calico cat named Patches, a Yorkie named Angus, a pit bull terrier named Apollo, and a Parolet (the smallest parrot breed) named Augie - helped seal the deal when she was selling her two-story condo in Bayport recently.

“I felt my pets should be seen. It’s a plus for fellow pet lovers to see animals in a house because then they can picture their own animals in the house,” says Keller, who sold to the first people to tour her condo, Nancy and Paul Duignan, a pet-less couple who fell in love with Angus.

“I carried the Yorkie around when I was looking at the house,” Nancy Duignan says. “As long as the house is immaculate and the house is in great condition, having animals around doesn’t bother me.”

Edith Katz, an associate broker with Century 21 Laffey’s Port Washington office, says, “The basics of cleanliness are paramount,” including keeping reptile and fish tanks and birdcages “sparkling fresh.”

To take care of off-putting odors, Katz recommends using fabric spray on furniture and drapes and renting or buying machines that sanitize and purify the air.

Odors and common scents

Hansen, who breeds Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (and has five of her own), says it’s an agent’s job to be honest - and diplomatic - with a seller regarding pet issues, including odors. She suggests investing in candles by Rigaud or Slatkin, available online or in high-end stores.

Shawn Elliott, owner of Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes & Estates, says a less expensive alternative is hiding an open can of coffee (he suggests Chock Full o’ Nuts) under the couch or in the garage or “wherever smells are worse.”

“You want to neutralize unpleasant smells, not cover them up,” using stain and odor remover products like Simple Solution or Nature’s Miracle, Hansen says.

“The bottom line is that, in this unique market, no one has the luxury to alienate even one customer,” says Elliott. “You have to remember they’re buying your house, not your pet.”

Pets here? Ssssh…

When showing a house that has a pet, many real estate professionals recommend:

• Removing photos of pets from the walls, shelves or refrigerator,
• Cleaning food and water bowls regularly, and hiding them when not in use,
• Stashing away pet toys, crates, carriers and leashes,
• Vacuuming carpets, upholstery and wood floors,
• Keeping litter boxes clean and out of sight, and removing signs of doggy potty pads,
• Opening windows to let in fresh air,
• Neutralizing odors with fresh-smelling candles and air sanitizers,
• Hiring professionals to remove unsightly pet stains,
• Bathing and grooming pets more than usual,
• Repairing visible signs of pet damage, such as scratched walls or floors,
• And, if at all possible, sending your animal on vacation - to a friend, neighbor, kennel, pet-sitter or vet.