There is a difference between buying a house without pets and buying a house that previously had pets. What you will look out for is different. Buying a house that previously had pets will make you check out some things before you make your purchase. Pets are beautiful and affectionate creatures but they come with a lot of issues you have to prepare yourself for before adopting them.
Some people love pets but some other people do not like pets. Having pets makes them feel uncomfortable because they grew up in an environment or family that didn’t like pets. You might like your pets but you still might not be comfortable being around the pets of other people.
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If you intend on buying a house that had pets, you should consider if you are someone that loves pet or not. This is because it will influence your decision.
There are 9 surprising things you should check before buying a house that had pets. Check them out.
1. The flooring
This is one key thing pet lovers and no-pet lovers should look out for when buying a house. If you are a pet lover, you need to check if the flooring is simple to care for. The floor should not have carpets because if it does, it will trap pet hair, it will easily wear off and it will be difficult for you to clean. They could either be bamboo, cork flooring, textured laminate, vinyl, no-slip tile, or scratch-resistant flooring.
As someone who doesn’t like pets, check to see if the flooring has stains of pet feces because if it does, you might not only have to hire a cleaner to remove the stains, you will also have to deal with the odor of the pet’s stains. Look out for how clean the flooring is. Is the flooring durable and beautiful? You shouldn’t be buying a house that had pets whose flooring is not clean. The seller should pay a cleaner to keep the flooring clean and inviting.
2. Pet odor
This is another important thing you should check before buying a house that had pets. Whether you are a pet lover or not you shouldn’t overlook pet odor. It is a very big turn-off for any buyer.
Look out for smelly litter boxes and many other things like the odor of let urine. Pet odor can give the house you intend to buy a terrible odor if you don’t notice it before buying a house. Most pet owners who put up their house for sale don’t even notice the pet odor in their house because they have adapted to it. Most times, it is you the buyer that would help them notice it. If you notice that smell and you will love to buy the house, insist that the carpeting and flooring that were affected by the urine and feces of the pets should be replaced, so that you can eliminate the odor from the source.
Vinegar is very good at eliminating odors in a house. Dilute the vinegar in a small quantity of water and pour in a spray bottle, then use it to spray the carpets and floors. You can also use baking soda to intensify the effect of eliminating the pet odor. Use the baking soda on the beddings and cushions.
3. Pet damage
Trust me, you don’t want to buy a house whose doors, walls, carpets, and flooring have all been damaged by pets. You also wouldn’t like to see pet hairs littered all over the place. Ensure you check the house so that you can easily spot pet hairs and insist that they are removed. If the pets used their claws to scratch the walls, let it be fixed. The carpets and doors should be replaced if they don’t look good.
A lot of people overlook the damages pets have done to a house before they buy it. Don’t be among them, let the excitement of owning a house not prevent you from checking pet damages in the house you want to buy so you don’t end up spending the extra money to repair damages in the house.
4. Check for pet toys, litter boxes, food, and water bowls.
You shouldn’t buy a house where pet toys, litter boxes, food, and water bowls are scattered everywhere. Whether you are a pet lover or not, don’t take this for granted. If you are not a pet lover it will be more difficult for you because you are not used to cleaning litter boxes, food and water bowls, and getting rid of pet toys. You may even develop allergies because of the presence of these things in the house you intend to buy.
Let the owner of the house that had pets get rid of these things before you buy it from him, so you won’t waste time and resources trying to get rid of them yourself as the buyer.
5. Size and layout
The size and layout of the house you want to buy should be also checked. Check if it has the size of rooms you desire. If you are a pet lover, will the size accommodate your pets without you having to bother about tripping over your pets? Also, check if the layout is attractive enough for friends and family to visit, if you have pets, consider if your pets would like the layout of the house. If the size and layout of the house don’t suit what you want for yourself or your pets, then you should not buy it.
6. Learn the local pet laws
If you own a pet or pets, before you move to a particular location, gain some knowledge about the local pet laws around there. Check if there are local restrictions to the number of pets you can own. Some locations won’t allow you to keep certain types of animals as pets. If you are not a pet lover, you also need to learn about these laws, so you don’t end up maltreating people’s pets. Those local pet laws may also have restrictions as to how some pets should be treated. Learning about these laws will help you plan and prevent some penalties that may be attached to not complying with the local pet laws.
7. Pet-friendly neighborhood and amenities
Also, lookout for a pet-friendly neighborhood for your pets if you are a pet lover. Ensure that you have access to pet clinics and let these clinics be close to your house. Let veterinarians be people you can easily reach around your neighborhood too, in case of emergencies. Let your neighborhood be one you can go for walks with your pets without being restricted. Your house should be close to pet shops and organizations that offer pet grooming services. If you are not a pet lover, you don’t have to bother about a pet-friendly environment rather you should be looking out for amenities in your neighborhood that will make your stay in that location beautiful.
8. Backyard
This is another place you should check out in a house you want to buy. If the previous owner of the house you want to buy had dogs as pets, it’s most likely that dog feces and urine will be everywhere in the backyard. Ensure you don’t just focus on inside the house and forget outside where the backyard is. If the backyard is not good-looking and free of pets’ waste, do not buy it except the seller wants to get rid of the waste. But if you are a pet owner, especially dogs, ensure the backyard space is large enough to help your dog play around. And then, make sure the backyard is fenced to prevent predators from attacking your pets.
9. Stairs
This is another basic thing you shy look out for when buying a house that once had pets. This applies to both pet owners or not. Check if the stairs of the house are safe for you to walk on. And then if you have pets, make sure it is safe for your pets too because some pets develop disabilities when as they age, and climbing the stairs would be difficult for them or it may even worsen their health condition. Don’t neglect to check the safety of the stairs in a house you intend buying except the house does not have stairs.
How Many Times Should You View A House?
This is a very important question every buyer should ask himself when buying a house. Although some sellers don’t give you, the buyer, the liberty to view the house at your convenience, they rather make you work with their schedule.
You should view a house between 3 to 5 times before you buy it. You could choose to go for the first 2 to 3 visits with a realtor while the 4 to 5 visits should be you evaluating the environment yourself or with a friend of yours who has eyes for good properties.
Check out the various important times you should view a house you want to buy.
1. During good and bad weather
Some homes look good during summer but when it’s spring, the look changes and you may not like the changes you would see. That is why you should visit the house during good and bad weather so that you can evaluate if you can cope. Now, I’m not saying they look of a house won’t change when the weather changes but it’s good you see how it looks during good and bad weather so you can make a wise decision.
2. Morning, afternoon, and night.
The neighborhood where the house you want to buy is located can have different looks in the morning, afternoon, and at night location that looks quiet during the day may look lively at night and otherwise. Driving around the area where the house is located, at different times of the day, will speak a lot about the neighborhood. It will also tell you if the area has issues with frequent traffic jams or not. Visiting only during the day won’t give you the right details about the neighborhood.
Also, check inside each of the rooms to see how they look in the morning, afternoon, and late at night. Check if you’re comfortable with how each room looks at different times of the day.
3. Weekdays and weekends
Don’t just visit the house you intend to buy during weekends, you should create time to visit it during weekdays too, if you won’t be available, you could delegate a family member of yours to go check it out for you. Visiting during weekdays will tell you if about the kind of neighbors you have, whether most of them have white-collar jobs or not, or whether they have a lot of schools that follow school buses. View the house you want to buy during weekdays and weekends so you can make a proper evaluation of the neighborhood you want to live in.
Get the opinions of others
If you are going to view a house you want to buy, it is good you carry a family member or friend of yours along so that they can help you reach a wise decision. They will be able to see things that couldn’t see and advise you on what they think about the house. You still need the opinion of a third party even if you’re buying the house with someone else. Let the third party make suggestions about the house.
Conclusion
If you want to enjoy staying in the house that you bought, then you should check out everything that was listed in this article so that you won’t end up making mistakes or making the wrong choices.
You shouldn’t buy a house you won’t be comfortable staying in because it can do a lot to you mentally and health-wise.
When you spot any of those things that were listed out in the article, call the attention of the seller to take care of it so that you won’t spend a lot of money and time trying to fix them.
Buying a house should not be something you quickly rush to buy. Take your time to inspect and make inquiries about the house you want to buy. It will save you from a lot of trouble.