Selling Your Wellington Home With Pets: How to Get Rid of the Smell Before Open Homes
Updated: 60 minutes ago
We've got three dogs at our place. Tessie's a 17-year-old cattle dog cross who has outlasted two couches and a lot of property cycles. Belle and Dexter are red dachshunds who genuinely believe they pay the mortgage.
So does our house smell like dogs? Of course it does. Every house with pets does. The question isn't whether yours smells... it's whether you're about to put it on the market without doing anything about it.
Because here's the thing. After 500+ Wellington sales and 17 years of open homes, I can tell you buyers smell your house before they see your kitchen. Every time.
1. Why smell costs you money
Buyers don't walk through a house thinking "lovely". They walk through doing maths. New carpet? That's a number. Professional clean? Another number. Is that smell hiding damp? Now they're not doing maths, they're worrying... and worried buyers make low offers. Or no offers.
A smell is the cheapest problem you'll ever fix and the most expensive one you'll ever ignore.
And you can't smell it. Nose blindness is real. Your brain stops registering a smell you live with every day, which makes you the person least qualified to judge your own house. No offence.
2. Start with an honest nose
Get a friend round. Not your partner, they're as nose-blind as you are. You want the friend who tells you when you've got spinach in your teeth.
Have them come in from outside and walk the whole house. Bedrooms, hallway, laundry, garage. Where do they wrinkle their nose? That's your list.
3. Find the source, don't chase the smell
Pet smell lives in soft things. Carpet, rugs, couches, curtains, beds, cushions. Wiping the benchtops for the fifth time won't fix it... the dog bed in the corner will. The usual suspects:
The pet bed, and whatever blanket lives on the couch
The patch of carpet where they lie in the sun
Curtains next to their favourite window
The laundry or garage where they sleep
The car, if buyers will see it in the garage
4. Wash it or pack it away
Everything soft that fits in the machine goes in the machine. Pet beds, throws, cushion covers, the lot. Anything that can't be washed and isn't needed? Pack it away for the campaign.
Do this before the photographer turns up, not at 11pm the night before the first open home.
5. Spot treat the carpets
Leonie swears by the Rug Doctor spot remover. It actually lifts the marks, and it smells lovely... not that chemical cover-up smell that makes buyers suspicious. Test it on a hidden patch first, because a bleached spot in the middle of the lounge is not the look we're going for.
For wee spots (and let's be honest, there are wee spots) use an enzyme cleaner. Normal cleaners clean the surface. Enzyme cleaners break down what's actually causing the smell. A cheap UV torch will show you old stains you didn't know you had. Brace yourself.
6. Know when spot cleaning isn't enough
If your friend's nose wrinkled in every room, it's time for a proper carpet clean. Hire a machine or get the pros in, and book it before the photos. Spring's a busy time for carpet cleaners in Wellington, so don't leave it to the week of.
Is it worth it? A carpet clean costs a fraction of what a buyer will knock off for "needs new carpet". Easy maths.
7. Vacuum like you mean it
Couches, under the cushions, skirting boards, the car. Pet hair holds smell, so get all of it. Lint roller on the fabric chairs. And empty the vacuum outside... otherwise you've just moved the smell to the kitchen.
8. Fix the evidence
Smell isn't the only giveaway. Buyers notice scratched doors, chewed skirting boards, a dog flap in the back door and holes in the lawn. Most of it is a cheap fix. A bit of filler, a touch of paint, some topsoil and grass seed. Leave it, and buyers start wondering what else the dog got to.
9. Air it out, don't cover it up
Windows open an hour before every open home. Fresh air beats any plug-in.
Heavy air freshener, scented candles in every room, a whole can of something called Mountain Breeze... buyers aren't stupid. If it smells like you're hiding something, they'll assume you are. Light and fresh. That's it.
10. Pets out for the open home
Bowls, beds, litter trays and toys out of sight. The pets themselves out of the house. Even the friendly ones. Especially the friendly ones.
Some buyers are allergic. Some are nervous around dogs. And nobody can concentrate on your floor plan with a dachshund sniffing their shoes.
Plenty of agents let this slide because they don't want the awkward conversation. We'd rather have the awkward conversation than watch a buyer leave early because of the cat.
11. Don't forget outside
Buyers walk the section. Do the poo patrol before every open home, not just the first one. Hose down the deck if that's where the dogs hang out. Fill the holes. If the lawn's got brown patches, a bit of attention now pays off in the photos.
Do pets put buyers off?
Not on their own. Plenty of Wellington buyers have dogs and cats, and a fully fenced section can be a real selling point. What puts buyers off is the evidence... smell, stains, scratches, a lawn that looks like a minefield. Fix that and your pets aren't a problem. They might even be part of the appeal.
Your timeline
Three to four weeks out: sniff test, find the sources, book a carpet clean if you need one
One to two weeks out: wash everything, spot treat, fix the scratches and holes
Day before photos: vacuum, air it out, pack the pet gear away
Every open home: windows open, pets out, poo patrol done
Quick answers
How far ahead should I start? Three to four weeks before photos is ideal. One week is the bare minimum.
Should I use air freshener? Light and fresh is fine. Heavy fragrance makes buyers suspicious.
Do my pets need to move out during the campaign? No. Take them out for open homes and private viewings, and keep their gear tidy in between.
Should I tell my agent about the pets? Yes, straight away. A good agent will spot it on the first walk-through anyway, so plan for it together.
Selling with pets in Wellington?
Thinking of selling in Johnsonville, Karori, Grenada Village, Wadestown, Broadmeadows, Crofton Downs and everywhere in between? We'll walk through your home with you and tell you honestly what buyers will notice first. Pets included. Get in touch with Leonie & Steve... we're dog people, we get it.
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