Pet Impact

Pets have a significant impact on real estate

A property's suitability for a pet can be a big part of a person's home buying decision, a new report from the National Association of Realtors concludes.

The group's 2017 "Animal House: Remodeling Impact" report looked into the effect of pets on buying, selling, and renovating decisions. Sixty-one percent of consumers polled for the report said they own an animal or plan to own one, and 81 percent said animal-related considerations will play a role in choosing their next residence. Eighty-five percent said it was important for their home to be large enough to accommodate a pet.

Nearly all of these respondents—99 percent—said they consider their pet to be part of the family. Eighty-nine percent said they would not give up their pet in order to move into a home with restrictions against animals. Twelve percent said they have moved in order to find a place to accommodate their pet, and 19 percent said they would be willing to move in order to accommodate their pet in the future.

Respondents frequently reported difficulty finding a rental property or homeowners association that was pet-friendly. Sixty-one percent said it was very difficult or somewhat difficult to find such a property, while only 9 percent considered it easy or very easy.

Those with companion or service animals were largely neutral or unsure about how easy it was to rent or purchase a home that could accommodate their animal. Eighteen percent found it difficult, and another 18 percent found it easy.

Ninety-five percent of respondents said they think it is important for a housing community to allow animals, and 62 percent said it was very important or somewhat important to live in an animal-friendly area. Fifty-four percent said they wanted to live near a walking path, while 49 percent wanted to be close to an animal store, 37 percent wanted to be close to a grooming service, and 32 percent wanted a dog park to be nearby.

Fifty-two percent of respondents said they had completed at least one home renovation to accommodate their animal. Twenty-three percent fenced in their yard, 12 percent added a dog door, and 10 percent installed laminate flooring.

Less popular features included built-in dishes and beds (3 percent), a kitty litter closet (3 percent), an animal pool (2 percent) and a pet washing station (1 percent).

People were largely happy with these additions to their home, with 94 percent reporting satisfaction. Sixty-two percent said they spent more time at home after the feature was added, and 58 percent said they had a greater desire to be at home. Eighty-three percent of respondents owned a dog, while 43 percent owned a cat. Nine percent said they had an amphibian, arthropod, bird, miniature horse, reptile, or small mammal. Eight percent owned a fish, and 5 percent owned a farm animal. Sixty-seven percent of Realtors polled for the report said they have represented a client with an animal. A fenced yard was the most sought-after

amenity among these clients, with Realtors reporting that 91 percent of pet owners considered this to be important. Sixty-six percent were looking for laminate flooring, 19 percent considered a pet washing station to be important, and 11 percent wanted a dog door.

About two-thirds of Realtors polled for the survey said they have worked with pet owners who rejected a home because it was not right for their animal. Thirty-six percent said this happens occasionally, 23 percent said it often happens, and 8 percent said it occurred very often. Nineteen percent said they rarely encountered this situation.

When selling a home, 57 percent of Realtors said the presence of an animal has a moderate effect on the process. Twenty-two percent reported that there was no effect or a neutral effect, 11 percent said it had a minor effect on the sale, and 10 percent said it had a major effect.

Asked what they advise pet owners to do when selling a home, about two-thirds of Realtors said they always recommend that the seller replace anything damaged by the animal, clean the home to remove the animal's scent, and take the animal out of the home during showings. Forty-one percent said they always recommend a professional home cleaning, while 37 percent said they tell the seller to remove pet objects such as toys and food dishes. Only 9 percent said they always advise pet owners to replace carpets or flooring when selling.

Most Realtors enjoyed pets as well, with four out of five considering themselves animal lovers and 68 percent saying that they own pets. Twelve percent said they volunteer for an organization that assists animals, and 21 percent planned to do so in the future. Among the Realtors who said they were animal lovers or volunteered with animals, 10 percent said they included this information in their marketing.

The Animal House: Remodeling Impact report collected 3,298 responses from pet owners who had completed renovations and responded to a survey on the home improvement site HouseLogic. The report also incorporated 2,813 responses to a telephone survey on housing market sentiments and 3,010 responses to a survey on animals in the home mailed to members of the National Association of Realtors.