Make your home pet friendly when selling

For those considering selling real estate in Surfers Paradise, there are many considerations around marketing and timing that you should consider to make the most of current market conditions. But have you thought about marketing your home to pets?

Well, let's clarify – marketing to pet owners. According to the Petcare Information and Advisory Service (PIAS), around 63 per cent of Australian households are home to pets. If your home is inappropriate for pet owners, you could be cutting out a huge chunk of the real estate market.

If you want to know what kind of pets people have specifically, the Australian Companion Animal Council Report (7th Edition) reveals that 36 per cent of households own dogs and 23 per cent have a cat. The rest of the pet owners in Australia have fish, reptiles, birds, rabbits or other animals. Of course it's the big animals such as cats and dogs that need special care and attention when it comes to housing.

How can I make my Surfers Paradise real estate pet friendly?

The statistics provided by PIAS reveal that over 90 per cent  of pet owners feel "very close" to their pets, indicating that companion animals could be major factor in deciding factor in where to live. If you live near one of the brilliant beaches or parks our area is renowned for, you may already be in with a shot, as dog owners would love to be near places to exercise their prized pooch.

For those a bit further away from the sand and surf, making your yard more pet friendly could be of major benefit. Decluttering and removing obstacles to give a visual impression of a large, open space will certainly go a long way towards enticing dog and cat owners to your home.

If your yard doesn't look great and there's not much you can do, try placing a small dish of water outside your laundry door at open for inspection times. This is kind of like home staging, but targeted at pet owners. Upon seeing this, a couple would say to each other: "Oh, there must be a little dog that lives here." This immediately opens up the possibility in their minds of their own hound finding a place to rest and play at your house. Of course you don't want to leave it inside, as people with allergies may be put off if they think an animal has lived inside the house.

Another way to aid the marketing of your Surfers Paradise real estate is to compile information on local dog off-leash areas and walkways, as well as vets and and other services in the area. Providing this information to prospective purchasers can help them feel at ease when it comes time to picture their family living in your neighbourhood.

Of course information like this is not only good for pet owners. If your real estate agent is marketing your home to young families, ask them if they are giving buyers information on local schools and play facilities, as well as hospitals and shopping malls that could increase the appeal of your home. Most agents worth their salt will have all of this material primed and ready to go.

Every home appeals to certain demographics, so consider if you are selling to young professionals, retiring couples or various other family combinations. You'll find the information relevant to each buying sector is quite different. Talk to your real estate agent about how you can best present your Surfers Paradise property for sale with information on surrounding facilities and amenities.