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When it’s time to put your home on the market, real estate experts suggest you “stage” it in order to make it more appealing to potential home buyers. In fact, a professionally listed and properly staged home doesn’t just look better; it also spends 73 percent less time on the market while typically selling for more money. When it comes to Staging, there are a few rules every homeowner should follow:

• Use curb appeal to draw buyers.
• Deep clean your home as thoroughly as possible.
• Decorate with neutrals to appeal to a broader audience.
• Store away personal items and photos during viewings.
• Throw out old furniture and replace with new pieces.
• Use art or photographs to breathe new life into rooms.
• Take care of even the smallest repairs.
• Never underestimate the power of a fresh coat of paint.
• Make old floors look new.
• Light your home properly.

As a pet owner, the process of staging is much more involved. While you love your furry friends and recognize that they make your House a home, not everybody feels that way about cats and dogs. Whether they are allergic to them, have an aversion to the scents, or simply don’t like animals, they are not a welcome sight when touring your home.

Because you want your home to appeal to as many potential buyers as possible, it’s in your best interest to put in a little more work to hide the evidence of your pet. Below are some of our best tips for doing that.

• Take your pet’s needs into consideration. Having a bunch of strange people walking in and out may cause them stress and anxiety. Consider boarding them when showing your house or hire a pet sitter that can take them off your hands.
• Scour your yard for bones or toys that your dog may have left out there and remove them. While you are at it, pick up all your dog’s toys indoors and put them in a basket somewhere hidden.
• Invest in some air purifiers that remove pet hair and dander from the air for a cleaner, more hygienic home.
• If you have a fish tank, make sure it is clean and scum-free.
• If you have a cat, clean the litter box daily and consider switching to an extra-strength litter that masks odors you are used to by now.
• Consider getting a robot vacuum that runs daily to pick up pet hair and dust bunnies.
• Hair doesn’t just stick to the floors — clean all your home’s linens including drapes, curtains, and upholstery. A damp rubber glove can help pick up the hair and bunch it before you run over the surface with a hand vacuum.
• If your dog has left scratches on your doors when begging to be let in, buff them out and cover with a fresh coat of paint.
• Throw out dingy dog beds or cat condos. You can buy new ones once you move.
• For a lot of people, it’s not the sight of pets that’s a deal breaker — it’s the smell. However, pet owners often grow accustomed to their furry loved ones’ odors. A thorough cleaning of the house should help, but just to be safe, consider crafting a pot of stovetop potpourri that fills your home with warm and inviting scents naturally.

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If you want your home to sell faster and for more money, you have to stage it. Staging your home has many basic tenets including working with neutrals, great lighting, and cleaning every inch of your house. However, pet owners should go a little further than that. Keep your pet’s needs in mind and consider boarding them. Be exhaustive with your cleaning and hide photos and toys that give your pet’s presence away.