Buying a house - previous owner had a dog (tenant, disclosures, landlord)
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OP didn't mention any odor or hair, just her general concern with purchasing a home where a dog lives. When we sold our last home, we always removed the dog, his bowls, bed, toys etc. when there was a showing. We sold the house in a week. A couple of weeks before the closing the buyers asked if they could come by to do some measuring. They were shocked to see our dog when they got there. They said they assumed due to the homes cleanliness that we had no pets. The presence of a well groomed and non shedding dog wasn't something that concerned them at all. Not all dogs are stinky or shed. Some people just like to worry when there's nothing to worry about.
Is pet ownership not on the disclosure statement where you live, or did your buyers not read it?
If there is dog smell you would have been able to notice when you walked in. I was looking at a home and as soon as I walked in the living room there was dog smell. If it was a better home in a better area I would not let dog smell deter me, it goes away with cleaning and airing out the home. People don't let their dogs pee on the carpet. I have 2 small dogs. We do 2 walks a day, I have a pee pad in the bathroom for them, they can use it to pee if they have to, such as when I have to walk them early to go out in the evening. They can poo on them, but normally don't. Plus their poo dries hard and is only the size of a double A battery. The floor is tile, but in the area of the weewee pad I took a tarp and gued 9 vinyl floor tiles to it. It's over the tile floor and I spray it with vinegar and water afterwards because vinegar is what breaks wee molecules the best. I have wood laminate floors that would be damaged by standing pee and they've never had an accident on it,
OP didn't mention any odor or hair, just her general concern with purchasing a home where a dog lives. When we sold our last home, we always removed the dog, his bowls, bed, toys etc. when there was a showing. We sold the house in a week. A couple of weeks before the closing the buyers asked if they could come by to do some measuring. They were shocked to see our dog when they got there. They said they assumed due to the homes cleanliness that we had no pets. The presence of a well groomed and non shedding dog wasn't something that concerned them at all. Not all dogs are stinky or shed. Some people just like to worry when there's nothing to worry about.
We had exactly the same experience (including that it took only a week to get the home under contract - we had an offer on the first day it was listed), but the new owners didn't know about the dog until a year after closing when we visited them (at their invitation - they wanted us to see the pool they installed). They were shocked that we had a dog (non shedding, well trained). The house was tile and plenty of carpet.
I especially like your last sentence.
Quote:
Originally Posted by aus1ander
Is pet ownership not on the disclosure statement where you live, or did your buyers not read it?
If there is dog smell you would have been able to notice when you walked in. I was looking at a home and as soon as I walked in the living room there was dog smell. If it was a better home in a better area I would not let dog smell deter me, it goes away with cleaning and airing out the home. People don't let their dogs pee on the carpet. I have 2 small dogs. We do 2 walks a day, I have a pee pad in the bathroom for them, they can use it to pee if they have to, such as when I have to walk them early to go out in the evening. They can poo on them, but normally don't. Plus their poo dries hard and is only the size of a double A battery. The floor is tile, but in the area of the weewee pad I took a tarp and gued 9 vinyl floor tiles to it. It's over the tile floor and I spray it with vinegar and water afterwards because vinegar is what breaks wee molecules the best. I have wood laminate floors that would be damaged by standing pee and they've never had an accident on it,
Depends on the breed and perhaps age of the dog. Lots of people have non-shedding breeds, so pet hair may or may not be present. Is the dog old or young? Either could mean either a deep cleaning of the carpets or replacement.
And if you didn't notice odor or any issues when you looked at the house, it probably doesn't matter at all.
Yes, it does matter. We found this out the hard way. We saw the dog, but he was always outside. They "claimed" he was an outside dog. He seemed well behaved. Ha!
After moving in, we discovered can after can of room deodorizer and Fabreeze. The sellers were using Fabreeze very effectively. Also, one of the owners was ill, so we didn't stay long on our visits. It wasn't until after we took possession we discovered:
All carpets were ruined (dog pee/poo). Furniture was in place when we originally saw the house. Of course, no pet stains were obvious or we would not have bought the house.
All carpets had to go. Floors underneath had to be sanded and sealed due to odor.
HVAC was full of dog hair.
Curtains were stinky with dog smell and had dog hair on them.
Dryer vents full of dog hair.
Dog hair was on the baseboards all over the house.
Yard was not in good shape due to doggie destruction.
This may have occurred between the time we put in the offer & the time we took possession, but seemed like a huge amount of destruction to have occurred in that short period of time. All I do know is that in future I'd have it all put in the contract and do a walk-thru before I signed the contract and took possession.
Yes, it does matter. We found this out the hard way. We saw the dog, but he was always outside. They "claimed" he was an outside dog. He seemed well behaved. Ha!
After moving in, we discovered can after can of room deodorizer and Fabreeze. The sellers were using Fabreeze very effectively. Also, one of the owners was ill, so we didn't stay long on our visits. It wasn't until after we took possession we discovered:
All carpets were ruined (dog pee/poo). Furniture was in place when we originally saw the house. Of course, no pet stains were obvious or we would not have bought the house.
All carpets had to go. Floors underneath had to be sanded and sealed due to odor.
HVAC was full of dog hair.
Curtains were stinky with dog smell and had dog hair on them.
Dryer vents full of dog hair.
Dog hair was on the baseboards all over the house.
Yard was not in good shape due to doggie destruction.
This may have occurred between the time we put in the offer & the time we took possession, but seemed like a huge amount of destruction to have occurred in that short period of time. All I do know is that in future I'd have it all put in the contract and do a walk-thru before I signed the contract and took possession.
Anybody who is inhumane to leave a dog outside 100% of the time is someone that I wouldn't trust with a nickle. If that's how they treat the dog, how do you think they treated the house?!!?
It's hard to believe that all that destruction wasn't apparent. Certainly, the yard destruction and baseboard hair was obvious. And what about the inspection? It should have shown some of that stuff. And weren't you there for the inspection? That would have left you in the house for a couple of hours, which certainly would have given you the opportunity to find some of this stuff.
Yes, it does matter. We found this out the hard way. We saw the dog, but he was always outside. They "claimed" he was an outside dog. He seemed well behaved. Ha!
After moving in, we discovered can after can of room deodorizer and Fabreeze. The sellers were using Fabreeze very effectively. Also, one of the owners was ill, so we didn't stay long on our visits. It wasn't until after we took possession we discovered:
All carpets were ruined (dog pee/poo). Furniture was in place when we originally saw the house. Of course, no pet stains were obvious or we would not have bought the house.
All carpets had to go. Floors underneath had to be sanded and sealed due to odor.
HVAC was full of dog hair.
Curtains were stinky with dog smell and had dog hair on them.
Dryer vents full of dog hair.
Dog hair was on the baseboards all over the house.
Yard was not in good shape due to doggie destruction.
This may have occurred between the time we put in the offer & the time we took possession, but seemed like a huge amount of destruction to have occurred in that short period of time. All I do know is that in future I'd have it all put in the contract and do a walk-thru before I signed the contract and took possession.
That does sound like an enormous amount of issues to occur in such a short time. How could you have missed all that? I'd would have been immediately suspicious if I smelled Febreeze or any room deodorizer. If your home and dog are clean and well maintained, none of that is needed. I've never purchased a home without doing a walk thru after the seller moved out and before we closed. And I never will. Doing one's due diligence when buying anything is always a good idea.
Eh, the only way a dog could really make a "mess" is if they were a dog that was trained to go to the bathroom indoors. Those habits tend to make a house reek... (not sure why anyone does it). That being said, other dog odors or smells should easily vanish forever with a thorough and professional cleaning of the house.
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