Pet Safety During Home Remodels Ahead of a Sale, Part 1

For those considering selling their Daybreak home anytime in the near or distant future, a common consideration will be a remodel of some sort ahead of the sale. Many remodeling projects add significant ROI and home value, though there’s one minor consideration to keep in mind for some homeowners here: Their pets.

At Daybreak Living, our real estate agents have assisted clients with numerous areas of selling a Daybreak home, with a variety of expertise areas to help you get the best value possible. We’ll work with you on a home evaluation and a marketing plan, plus connect you with relevant professionals who can assist you further. In this two-part blog series, we’ll go over many tips we can offer clients who are considering a home remodel ahead of a sale in terms of keeping their pets safe and ensuring they don’t disrupt the process.

Creating a Safe Space

While we’ll get to themes for introducing your pets to the new surroundings in a moment, you never know when they may get nervous or frightened – and they need a safe harbor to retreat to when this happens. You want to ensure such a space is available beforehand.

If you’re a dog owner, the ideal space here is an enclosed one like a crate or their own specific room. Cats, on the other hand, prefer to have some room to roam when possible. Include things like their favorite toys, food and water and perhaps even treats that will remind them the space is safe. In some cases, homeowners find success using a white noise machine to block out construction sounds that might scare their pets.

Familiarize Them

As long as your pet is accustomed to people and isn’t a bite or safety risk, find good times to familiarize themselves with new surroundings as the remodel gets started. Do walkthroughs with them to show them there’s nothing to be afraid of, plus consider introducing them to workers or contractors in the space so they can become familiar with their smells and sounds.

Hazard Check

During any such walkthroughs, or just in general if you plan to allow your pet to roam during the remodel, perform regular checks for hazards that might threaten them. Check for things like nails, stapes, metal shavings or other debris, plus anything your pet might try to eat. In terms of the actual construction zone itself, you should do your best to block this off and never allow your pet in unsupervised.

Maintain Routines

Wherever possible, try to maintain your pet’s household routines. Things like feeding times, trips outside and play periods should be maintained if at all possible, and will help your pet stay calm and resist anxiety.

For more on how to keep your pet safe during a remodel of your home ahead of a home sale, or to learn about any of our Daybreak homes for sale or real estate agent services, speak to the staff at Daybreak Living today.