What to do - house on market - potential buyers say "smells like dog"

[7beasley]

HI all...

we are trying to sell our house. It has been on the market 1 month. Given the size of the house, the price, the condition and the location we and our realtor think we should have had much more interest...and an offer...by now!

Problem is that almost every single feedback we have gotten (about 8 comments) has been that the "house smells of dog" or "strong dog odor" or "buyer smelled dog and was turned off"

We have a Bulldog. He is bathed weekly. We don't notice a smell. Apparently others do.

We just hired Stanley Steamer who came on Wed to clean and deodorize every square inch of carpeting. The first potential buyer who came in on Friday after the rugs were cleaned commented on the dog smell being very strong.

So now we are thinking its everywhere - the curtains, the bed spreads, the couches --- we are going to wash all the linens and frebreze the couches and we just bought Orek crystals that you vaccumm up - we are going to try that on the couches as well.

We are also removing all traces of hte dog -- all pictures, toys, dog bed, etc...although he will still be in the basement for showings - maybe people won't know right away that we have a dog when they walk in.

We have the bath and body works plug in scents in the kitchen, living room and bedrooms -- but I am going to get some more of those type of sprays. I can't light candles because we are not home during the day when the showings are going on and I don't want a candle burning for 8 hours.

We open the windows in the morning as well to try to air out the house during the day.

Any other suggestions -- we are at our wits end with all the dog comments -- it is made even harder since we don't smell the dog smell so we can't pinpoint where it is coming from. Our realtor who has bad asthma and is sensitive to dog smell also told us that she doesn't smell the dog at all!!!

This is really fustrating!!

Thanks
Nicole

 

[WDWBarb]

HI all...

we are trying to sell our house. It has been on the market 1 month. Given the size of the house, the price, the condition and the location we and our realtor think we should have had much more interest...and an offer...by now!

Problem is that almost every single feedback we have gotten (about 8 comments) has been that the "house smells of dog" or "strong dog odor" or "buyer smelled dog and was turned off"

We have a Bulldog. He is bathed weekly. We don't notice a smell. Apparently others do.

We just hired Stanley Steamer who came on Wed to clean and deodorize every square inch of carpeting. The first potential buyer who came in on Friday after the rugs were cleaned commented on the dog smell being very strong.

So now we are thinking its everywhere - the curtains, the bed spreads, the couches --- we are going to wash all the linens and frebreze the couches and we just bought Orek crystals that you vaccumm up - we are going to try that on the couches as well.

We are also removing all traces of hte dog -- all pictures, toys, dog bed, etc...although he will still be in the basement for showings - maybe people won't know right away that we have a dog when they walk in.

We have the bath and body works plug in scents in the kitchen, living room and bedrooms -- but I am going to get some more of those type of sprays. I can't light candles because we are not home during the day when the showings are going on and I don't want a candle burning for 8 hours.

We open the windows in the morning as well to try to air out the house during the day.

Any other suggestions -- we are at our wits end with all the dog comments -- it is made even harder since we don't smell the dog smell so we can't pinpoint where it is coming from. Our realtor who has bad asthma and is sensitive to dog smell also told us that she doesn't smell the dog at all!!!

This is really fustrating!!

Thanks
Nicole

I've actually never walked into a house and noticed it smelled of "dog." I have noticed the smell of urine, but never just "dog." Maybe that's because my house smells exactly the same? Dogs rule

Sounds like you've done everything short of painting (and the smell of paint overpowers everything). If the dog gets on the couch, it often holds pet odors.

Maybe bake some bread or cookies just before a showing? I used to sell real estate (so many years ago!) and that was a trick that seemed to work. They always said the house seemed very "homey" and "comfortable."

 

[HERSEY]

Is there a doggy day care near you that he can be at during the day? I wonder if just the perception of a dog is bring on the "smell". Maybe an honest friend can come by and give your house the old sniff test.

Good luck

 

[Bren's Mom]

I'm sorry you're so frustrated...I can imagine how hard it is to think you've gotten the house really ready and are getting negative feedback. It does sound like you're doing all the right things, though, and not ignoring the problem.

Do you have a friend or family member who will 'tell it like it is' and give you some honest feedback? That would be where I would start. If a friend asked me I'd certainly tell them what I thought to help them out.

And is it possible to temporarily move the dog to a family member's house? Each time you clean/febreze/scent and then the dog is back in those rooms it might be recreating the smell. If you move him and it persists you might consider getting a POD or PackRat, putting your upholstered furniture in it and then renting some inexpensive things for staging until the house is sold.

 

[princess momma]

Can you find somewhere else for the dog to stay while you're trying to sell? You can clean the house and try to mask the odor, but if the dog is still running around the house I don't think it will help much.

I have a friend who has a bulldog and while he's a really great dog, he does have a certain odor that I don't notice with other dogs.

 

[torinsmom]

I would take the dog out when the house shows for awhile and see what happens. Maybe people are "smelling" the dog because they see it or know it is there(I am assuming they are showing the basement, or telling the potential buyers why they cannot show the basement) You don't have to take him to a kennel or anything. Take him to a friends house or wherever you go when they show the house.

Marsha

 

[The Mystery Machine]

How many comments did you get?

As a home buyer using sprays, candles, and plug in air freshers can make a smell worse. For me it is a red flag.

I would concentrate more on using cleaners, cleaning carpets, wipe down walls, mop floors, clean all window dressings, sills, and baseboards.
I use vinegar and water for alot of it. Vinegar is a natural deodorizer.

Then do not use anything to cover up the smell. Perhaps you can then pinpoint a spot that smells more like dog to stay on top of it.

 

[java]

OH We'll watch him!!! I love bulldogs.

I'm surprised that they commented on dog smell as our bullie didn't smell. But as my signature testifies to- he was a farter. Did he have accidents in the house? Because then cleaning the rugs can make it worse- if it got to the padding. The weekly washing sounds like it's too much to me- we only bathed Harry after a particularly messy day outside. Too much bathing might actually be a problem.

I would open the windows. Before a visit try the cinnamon and vanilla on a cookie sheet- turn the oven on low like 200 degrees- and open the door- the smell will be like apple piey and it is a generally stronger smell and I think it would dull the senses to other smells(like dog)

Although I don't know how bad it is. If everyone is saying it- as it is what it sounds like- I think there must be a problem. It probably is the bed too.

Go out for the evening, when you return and first walk in do you smell it?

Good luck!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Try burning some incense. Not one of the flowery/cheap ones; one of the nice/expensive ones. I like Japanese Sandalwood. The smoke will permeate the curtains and other fabrics. That combined with all your cleaning might help dispel whatever smell people are smelling. (LOL another dog person here.) Do one in every area twice a day for a couple of days.


Another thing that might be worth is having your veterinarian check (and empty) your dog's anal glands. That can be a chronic, subtle problem that an owner might not even notice.


Good luck.

 

[Angelhalo]

Put coffee beans around in decorative dishes. I work for a real estate company and we often suggest this as a scent solution. By pretty vases and dishes and such and fill them up with coffee beans. It looks pretty and smells like they just walked into Starbucks!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Here is a thought...you could have your realtor contact the person with the comments and ask them about it. Maybe you can get some useful info to help.

 

[PrincessKitty1]

How many comments did you get?

As a home buyer using sprays, candles, and plug in air freshers can make a smell worse. For me it is a red flag.

I would concentrate more on using cleaners, cleaning carpets, wipe down walls, mop floors, clean all window dressings, sills, and baseboards.
I use vinegar and water for alot of it. Vinegar is a natural deodorizer.

Then do not use anything to cover up the smell. Perhaps you can then pinpoint a spot that smells more like dog to stay on top of it.

I agree with this.

Do you have a friend or relative who could keep your dog while you're trying to sell your house? I know that's a lot to ask, but many dogs do have a "doggy" smell (my dog included) that people walking into our houses will notice even if we don't.

Also, I think my carpets smell worse for a day or two after cleaning--I think it's the residual dampness (and I live in a very humid area), so now that your carpet is dry, it may smell OK. What does your realtor think?? Ask him or her to be brutally honest about the smell.

 

[Angelhalo]

If all else fails you could always offer a floor allowance so that people would know that if they want to just replace the carpet altogether they can and it won't come out of their pocket. Although after only one month I don't know if I'd be that deperate yet. When DH and I sold our last house it took 9 months on the market.

 

[eh24fan]

My brother and his wife have a pit bull. Their house is carpeted in all but the kitchen and bathrooms. They don't smell dog...I do, the minute I walk in the house. They clean, they use candles and plug-ins, which makes the house smell like a floral dog.

It's in the furniture, drapes, carpet, etc. I don't know that anything but time will get the smell out of your house or my brother's. I think you're just going to have to either take on of the suggestions to rent furniture for staging and give a carpet allowance or hope to find someone that doesn't mind.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

I've looked at houses a lot, lately (we just bought a house back in October) and some houses smelled very strongly of dog. People who used candles and other coverups simply had a complex odor of burning candles, perfume, and dog. If it's there, you can't hide it. You have to get rid of the source of the odor. I don't mean get rid of your dog, but I do mean get rid of his odor and don't let him "re odor" the house once you do. Keep him in the basement until you sell the house. Don't let him sleep on the carpets, beds, etc.

If you've got feedback that your house has a "strong doggy odor", then it does. People who are looking at your house have no incentive to lie about something like that. If they didn't like your house for other reasons, say, decor, location, colors, size of kitchen, then that's what they would have said.

I would get rid of the carpeting. I've looked at houses where there was a flooring allowance and I just couldn't get past the awful carpets. And I didn't even want to think about dealing with the hassle of having them replaced myself.

If I were you (and I was, last year, selling my house with a dog and a cat), I would get rid of all the carpeting and replace it with either laminate or hardwood, depending upon the selling price of your house and what is desireable for the neighborhood (for us it was laminate, thank God).

I also put our dog in either doggy day care during the day when I wasn't home or in a crate in our car when I was at work and I park in an underground parking garage (always cool), and the security guard would check on her (I only work part time so it wasn't too long).

I also removed all the dog items. Our buyers, who did a surprise walk through after closing were SO surprised we had a dog.

We also got rid of the curtains-we tried to make the house as clean, sleek and new feeling as possible. It worked.

 

[merekc]

As someone who doesn't enjoy animals, I can give you my two cents. I can walk into a house with pets and know that they have them. I don't have to see pet stuff. I can smell them in many houses and if I can't (which is rare) I can tell because my allergies kick up.

As previously stated, your best bet is to allow a flooring allowance or replace it now and keep your dog out of it.

I personally would be immediately turned off walking into a pet house. If I can smell it, we wouldn't even consider it (even with the flooring allowance). If you can swing it, replace the carpets and remove that obstacle.

 

[luvmy3]

How many comments did you get?

As a home buyer using sprays, candles, and plug in air freshers can make a smell worse. For me it is a red flag.

I would concentrate more on using cleaners, cleaning carpets, wipe down walls, mop floors, clean all window dressings, sills, and baseboards.
I use vinegar and water for alot of it. Vinegar is a natural deodorizer.

Then do not use anything to cover up the smell. Perhaps you can then pinpoint a spot that smells more like dog to stay on top of it.

I agee with this. If you try to mask the odor with nice smelling things instead of getting rid of it, it will make it much worse. Is there any room in your budget to replace the carperting and do a fresh coat of paint, if even just in the main living areas? If not, the next best thing is to allow a floor allownace. Even if there is no strong odor when they come to see it, potential buyers may be turned off by pets in the home and old carpeting, especially anyone with allergies and/or asthma.
Good luck,. I hope it all works out.

 

[PaulaSue]

Take the dog (any animals really) away for showings too.

Good Luck!

 

[Free4Life11]

As someone who doesn't enjoy animals, I can give you my two cents. I can walk into a house with pets and know that they have them. I don't have to see pet stuff. I can smell them in many houses and if I can't (which is rare) I can tell because my allergies kick up.

As previously stated, your best bet is to allow a flooring allowance or replace it now and keep your dog out of it.

I personally would be immediately turned off walking into a pet house. If I can smell it, we wouldn't even consider it (even with the flooring allowance). If you can swing it, replace the carpets and remove that obstacle.

I completely agree with this. You've gotten so many comments on it, so you need to do something fast! I hate to say it, but pet odor is a real turn off to a lot of people.

 

[jlima]

As a home buyer using sprays, candles, and plug in air freshers can make a smell worse. For me it is a red flag.

Ditto! When we were buying our current house, we looked at the one three doors down from us. You smelled Yankee Candle right when you walked in the front door. A few minutes later, you noticed the cigarette smell. Maybe, if we had TOTALLY fallen in love with the house, I would have replaced all the carpets, repainted, etc after we purchased, but in this market, we just kept looking, because who wants to spend thousands of dollars on new paint & carpet right after you purchase a home? (plus it was $90K more than this one)

My suggestions -

Try to market your house to a dog lover. Change the description to "dog friendly house" or something like that, esp. if you have a pet doors anywhere in the house.

or

In addition to all the suggestions here about cleaning, have your air ducts cleaned. If there is pet dander in your vents, no matter how much you clean, your air conditioner is going to constantly spread what's in your AC system all over your house.

Good luck!