How to Sell a House With Pets: Odors, Showings, Yard

You can sell a house with pets and still get a fair result, but a traditional listing asks a lot of you and your animals: deep cleaning, repairs, hiding every sign of them, and leaving the house every time a buyer wants a look. If you would rather skip all of that, selling as-is to a local cash buyer removes the prep and the showings. We buy houses across Metro Detroit as-is, with no repairs, no cleaning and no open houses, so your dog, cat or bird never has to leave for a stranger’s walk-through. Below you will find both routes in full, so you can choose the one that fits your situation.

TL;DR

• Pets are not the problem. Odors, hair, stains, scratched floors and a damaged yard are what buyers notice, and each can be handled.
• On a traditional listing, plan on deep-cleaning carpets, replacing HVAC filters, repairing pet damage, cleaning up the yard and moving your animals out for every showing.
• If a pet cannot leave the house, a quiet room or a calm crate is the fallback, and it only works if the animal stays calm.
• Selling as-is for cash skips the repairs, the cleaning, the showings and the agent commissions. We make a written cash offer within 24 hours and can close in as little as 7 days.

Table of Contents

• Why pets change the way a house sells
• Your two options: list the house or sell it as-is
• Selling as-is when pets have left their mark
• If you list: remove the smell first
• Repair visible pet damage
• Deal with the yard
• Make the inside look like a home, not a kennel
• What to do with your pets during showings
• Moving day with pets
• How the two routes compare in time and effort
• Our perspective
• Ready to sell without the pet prep?
• FAQ
• Sources

Why pets change the way a house sells

A home with animals in it feels lived in, and that is where the trouble starts. A buyer walking in may smell a litter box before they see the kitchen. Another may be nervous around dogs, or allergic. Someone else may spot a chewed baseboard and start wondering what else has been worn down. Most of this is about first impressions, and first impressions in a showing last about fifteen minutes.

The animals themselves also make showings harder. A buyer has to be able to open every door and closet. A dog that barks at the doorbell, a cat that slips out, or a bird that gets loud when strangers arrive all complicate that. Even a calm pet puts you in charge of hiding food bowls and carrying a crate to the car before each visit.

If you are selling because of something stressful, such as a foreclosure notice, an inherited house you cannot maintain, a divorce, a move into smaller housing, or a rental you want to be done with, juggling pet logistics on top of everything else is a real burden. That is why the first question to settle is which way you want to sell.

Your two options: list the house or sell it as-is

There are two practical routes, and the right one depends on your time, your budget for prep and how much disruption your household can take.

We write on the first route because it is what we do, and it is the one that takes the pet problem off your plate. If you prefer to list, the rest of this guide gives you the full preparation routine so you do it properly.

Selling as-is when pets have left their mark

When a house has years of pet wear, such as stained carpet, scratched floors, a lingering smell or a torn-up yard, the cost of fixing it before a listing can climb quickly. The ranking advice on this topic is a long list of repairs, and each one costs time or money before you see a dollar from the sale.

Selling as-is changes the math. We buy houses in whatever condition they are in, with no repairs and no cleaning required. You do not replace carpet, you do not hunt for a professional odor treatment, and you do not repaint over scratches. We also do not charge hidden fees, and we cover the standard closing costs for sellers.

It also helps if your pets have to move with you. Instead of arranging boarding for every showing, you pick a closing date that fits your move. You can read our as-is selling process checklist to see the steps in order, or go straight to our page on how to sell a house as-is.

This route fits many readers of this guide in particular:

• Heirs who inherited a house where the previous owner’s pets lived and who do not want to clean or repair it. See how we sell an inherited house.
• Landlords whose tenants kept pets and who face wear on the carpet and floors. We buy rental properties.
• Owners of vacant houses where a pet smell has set in with nobody living there to air it out. We buy a vacant house the same way.
• Sellers under time pressure, including those facing foreclosure, where a 60-day listing timeline does not work.

If you list: remove the smell first

Odor is the biggest pet problem, and you are usually the last person to notice it because your nose has adapted. The American Kennel Club’s advice on selling a house with dogs is to wash removable fabrics and pet bedding, clean pet habitats, and have a professional service clean carpets or rugs if a bacteria-eating odor remover does not get rid of urine smells.

A practical order for odor work:

1. Wash everything washable. Pet beds, throw blankets, slipcovers, curtains and any rugs. Do this in the days before photos and showings, not the night before.
2. Clean the pet’s own spaces. Cages, tanks, litter areas and the corners where food and water bowls sit.
3. Treat carpet and upholstery. An odor remover that breaks down the source works better than a fragrance. The AKC cautions against simply masking smells, and buyers tend to notice when a house smells heavily of air freshener.
4. Replace HVAC filters. Pet hair and dander collect in the system and get blown back through the house.
5. Check below the surface if the smell persists. If carpet odor keeps returning, the pad or subfloor may be the source. The AKC notes that carpet which still reeks may need to be replaced.

For a more detailed look at preparing a house while people live in it, see our guide to selling a house while living in it.

Repair visible pet damage

Pets leave marks that buyers read as neglect: scratched doors and floors, chewed trim, stained carpet, pulled-up screens and window sills clawed by cats. Walk through each room with a notepad and look at the lowest three feet of every wall, door and frame, because that is where animals do their damage.

Small fixes, such as filling chew marks, touching up paint and replacing a ruined screen, are usually inexpensive. Floors and carpet are the larger decisions. If you are not sure the cost will pay back, our piece on whether home staging is worth it lays out how to think about prep spending. And if the repair list is long, that is the situation our as-is purchase is designed for.

Deal with the yard

Dog owners often forget the yard because they see it every day. Buyers see it as part of the house and often start the visit there. The AKC recommends a poop patrol before each showing, double-bagging waste, filling holes your dog has dug and seeding bare spots.

Three quick yard checks:

• Walk the whole lawn, including along the fence line and under shrubs, where waste hides.
• Fill and level any digging holes, since they are a trip hazard for visitors.
• Check the fence and gate latch, so a dog cannot slip out while buyers come and go.

Make the inside look like a home, not a kennel

The aim is a house where a buyer can picture their own life. That means putting away the evidence of yours.

• Store bowls, toys, crates, litter boxes, scratching posts and spare food. Dry food bins can go in a laundry room or mudroom, as the AKC suggests.
• Vacuum upholstery and baseboards, where hair collects, and do it again right before each showing.
• Open windows briefly to air out the rooms when the weather allows.
• Clear surfaces and closets. Clutter makes a house look smaller, and we explain why in how clutter affects home sale speed in Metro Detroit.

To keep this manageable, build a ten-minute routine you can run before every showing: pets out, bowls and litter box away, quick vacuum, wipe surfaces, check the yard. Keep a box by the door to hold everything you need to hide at the last minute.

What to do with your pets during showings

The best option is simple: have the animals out of the house. Ask a friend or relative to take them for the afternoon, or book daycare or boarding for the busiest days. A familiar person is calmer for the animal than a kennel, and the house stays quiet for buyers.

When a pet cannot leave, you have fallbacks, each with its own risk:

• A quiet room. Pick a low-traffic room, make sure it is pet-proofed, and put a note on the door so no buyer opens it. Cats tend to settle better in a lower-traffic space.
• A crate. This only works if the animal stays calm. The Seattle Times reports that crating can backfire when a dog barks or becomes stressed as visitors arrive.
• A tank or cage. Birds, reptiles and small mammals can stay in their habitat, but cover or move it if the noise or smell could distract a buyer.

Tell your agent or the showing contact that a pet lives in the home. The same Seattle Times piece advises being upfront about it, so a visitor is never surprised by an animal behind a door. Never leave a pet loose with strangers walking through, because open doors and unfamiliar people are how animals get lost or bitten.

Photography days need the same care. A photographer moves through every room and opens doors, so pets and their belongings should be gone before photos are taken.

Moving day with pets

Once there is a closing date, plan the move around your animals. Keep your pet’s identification current, and keep vet records and any medications in a bag you carry yourself, not in a moving box. On moving day, set up one closed room with water, a bed and familiar items, or send the pet to a friend until the truck is loaded. Doors are open all day, and that is when pets bolt.

With an as-is sale you choose the closing date, which makes this planning easier. If you need extra time to clear the house, our seller checklist for closing without clearing belongings explains how that works.

How the two routes compare in time and effort

A traditional sale with pets stacks several stages: preparation, listing, showings, negotiation, the buyer’s inspection and financing, and then closing. You can see how those stages add up in our traditional home selling timeline guide. Every stage involves your animals in some way, whether through a cleaning push, a showing schedule or an inspector walking through.

With us, the sequence is shorter: you tell us about the house, we make a written cash offer within 24 hours, and if you accept, you choose the closing date. It can be as little as 7 days. There are no showings, so nobody walks through your home with your dog at the door.

Our perspective

We have bought homes in Southeast Michigan for more than 16 years, and pets come up in many of the houses we see. We understand that a home with animals is a home where someone has been living and loving their family, and we do not judge it.

Our view is that a seller should not have to erase their pets to sell. Scrubbing floors, replacing carpet and rehoming a dog for a month are real costs, and they land on the people who often have the least time and energy to spare: heirs closing out a parent’s estate, landlords after a long tenancy, and owners dealing with foreclosure or divorce.

That is why we buy as-is. Dave Joseph buys the house directly, with a written cash offer in 24 hours and a closing date you choose. There are no repairs, no showings and no agent commissions, and the house does not have to be spotless.

Real Estate Team

Ready to sell without the pet prep?

If the cleaning, repairs and showing schedule sound like more than you want to take on, we can take the house as it stands. We are a local cash buyer in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties, and we do not use a national franchise or a lead marketplace. You get a written offer within 24 hours, and you pick the closing date.

Start with our get a cash offer in 24 hours page, or read more about how we sell a house for cash. If you live in Detroit, our Detroit page covers that market. For more guides, see our home selling tips for Detroit.

FAQ

Do I have to get rid of my pets to sell my house?

No. You only need to keep them out of the way. On a traditional listing that means having them out of the house during showings and photos when possible. When you sell as-is to us, there are no showings, so your pets can stay at home.

How do I get pet smells out before I sell?

Wash all removable fabrics and bedding, clean pet habitats and replace HVAC filters. For carpet, use an odor remover that breaks down the source, and call a professional cleaner if the smell stays. The American Kennel Club notes that carpet that keeps reeking may need to be replaced.

What if my dog or cat cannot leave during showings?

Put the animal in a quiet, pet-proofed room or a crate, with a note on the door. Crating only works if the dog stays calm, so test it beforehand. Letting the showing contact know a pet is home helps avoid surprises.

Will I get less for the house if it has pet damage?

On the open market, visible damage and odors can make buyers hesitate and ask for repairs or a lower price. If you sell to us as-is, we buy the house in its current condition, so you do not repair or clean anything first. We make a written cash offer within 24 hours.

Can I sell a rental or inherited house that tenants or a relative kept pets in?

Yes. We buy inherited houses, rental properties and vacant homes as-is across Metro Detroit, with no cleaning or repairs required. Contact us with the address and we will respond with a written offer.

Sources

• How to Sell and Show Your House When You’ve Got Dogs, American Kennel Club
• Dog owners face unique challenges when buying, selling a home, The Seattle Times

Recommended

• How to Sell a House While Living in It
• Sell Your Home Without Multiple Showings Fast
• Seven Ways to Sell a House and How to Pick the Right One
• Out of State Sellers: Sell Your House Remotely, Close in 7–21 Days