For those selling a house, if you have dogs please open windows before your viewings!!

[Darkandstormynite]

Just come back from viewing another property where the smell of dog really hits you as you walk through the door. Do people not open windows or clean carpets anymore??

Honestly this is the third property we've viewed where it's just been so over powering. I'm desperately trying to look past it to look at potential whilst viewing the house, but honestly it's difficult when you just are fighting down the urge to open windows and doors.

One house tried to mask the smell with air freshners, which just made it worse and more overpowering!

Just open windows, wash dog bedding and shampoo the carpets. Not that difficult really. We've had dogs and this is what I thought people did as standard when trying to sell, it's what we did.

It’s easy as a dog owner to not notice how much your own house stinks .

I guess you get nose blind after a while. Maybe get a friend to come in and do a quick sniff!

Was hoping this post might help people trying to sell.

We’re still in the middle of a pandemic with an airborne pathogen. Stink aside opening the windows is a very easy way to reduce transmission. Ffs.

Oh there's always one

No we're not!

We're all doomed.

We are not 'in the middle' of a pandemic!

Covid is no longer a pandemic according to WHO.

Dogs don't generally smell if you have basic standards of hygiene.

But the smell will soon go when they leave the house and you move in and clean anyway, so it's not really a dealbreaker for most people.

We're really not

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-no-longer-a-global-health-emergency-world-health-organization-says-12871889

Goodchat It's hard to make a deal on a house though when you're gagging on the over powering smell.

On the property today, even the estate agent commented and apologised for the smell. He went looking for windows to open.

It's just basics. You want to sell something, you put the effort in to present it in the best order possible.

These weren't fixer upper properties btw.

I get you OP, but we bought a spotlessly cleaned house. But it smelt of dog. They had a beautiful, clean Dalmatian, that smelt of dog. The smell remained until the only carpet in the house went.

it’s not great but I’ve had a dog smell free home for many years.

And yet I have been to five where I couldn't smell their dogs.

Sorry OP, but It sucks to be you!

It really doesn't. But hey, you do you.😂

I was very conscious of this, I always worry the house smells of the dog and cat, I removed their beds and washed things like throws they might have laid on, opened windows, lit candles etc.

Sounds like you're doing what you can so I wouldn't worry. I'm sure it's fine.

These sellers had clearly not opened a window in ages or washed bedding for a very long time!

We've had 2 dogs in the past so I know what a challenge it is. There's only so much you can do, but at least doing the basics makes your home more attractive.

FFS indeed

I meant you ending up in smelly dog houses whereas I have been lucky.

But hey, you do you 👀

If the smell is that disgusting and overpowering then the house can't have been in very nice condition! To get that level of smell, stuff needs to be chronically uncleaned. But yet another thread where people get to exclaim how much dog owners' houses smell and how everyone is noseblind and doesn't realise how they stink and whenever someone steps in a house where a dog has even visited they are gagging. Are they a daily thing now?

I’m sure if you buy the house they’ll take their dogs with them. It doesn’t really matter what it smells like with all their things and pets in. You just get it cleaned before you move in.

yanbu
it would make me think that all flooring needs to be replaced before I move in. which is a major expense.

I've been on viewings of houses which stank of cat pee, moth balls, BO, musty furnishings... Not sure the opening of windows etc is uniquely relevant to dog owners.

I completed on a house two weeks ago - I noticed the dog smell when I visited - due to the wonders of everyone putting their lives online I found the owners on instagram and they only got their dog at Christmas so tbh I wasn't too worried about it lingering. But I'm shocked really how much the smell still there after they've gone ! I've vacuumed / washed all relevant flooring multiple times these last two weeks to not much improvement. I have resorted to getting professionals in next week- another expense I wasn't expecting! Beware non-dog people, beware :(

OP I couldn't agree more. I viewed a beautiful house that stank, and I mean absolutely stank of dog. The estate agent/vendor tried to mask the smell with candles. I almost turner and walked straight back out.

I had the quickest viewing ever and left with a migraine. Not even airing and cleaning the house would have god rid of the smell.
Houses in that area go under offer i around 3 weeks. It's still up for sale 6 months later and even at a vastly reduced price it's not selling