If you have ever said “Home is where the fur is…” – you must be a pet owner. And all we can say is: welcome to the club! Apparently, that club is a popular one as 82% of over 2,000 buyers surveyed this spring stated that they were pet owners. Moreover, 95% of them stated that their furry (or scaly) companion plays a role in the home they select. In fact, 68% declared that they would pass on their dream home IF it did not accommodate the needs of their animal.
The Breakdown
Of the Realtor.com survey conducted in March 2020:
| 61% owned dogs
| 45% owned cats
| 12% owned fish
| 9% owned birds
In addition, some folks had more than one pet. (I can relate to that – just ask Chadwick above what he thought about sharing our walls with guinea pigs…).
The Top Picks
With regards to what home features pet parents desired, the top contenders were big yards (38% of respondents), access to outdoor spaces (29%), garages (24%), dog runs (22%) and lots of indoor square footage (20%).
In our experience, other considerations include:
| Location (Is the home close to hiking trails, creeks and dog parks?)
| Stairs (Multiple sets of stairs can create multiple challenges for aging animals.)
| Suitability of existing flooring and wall/window coverings (How much would it cost to swap these materials out for ones that better suit muddy feet and claws?)
Chadwick here has one favorite room in our house – the kitchen! We think it is something about the amount of food we drop there, or maybe because it’s the place where the most laughter happens.
Regardless, home to our pets is all about daily life there, so if you need help accessing a home that is right for EVERY member of your family, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Resource Used: Will Fido Be Happy Here? How Much Pets Matter When Buying a Home
All my best,
Mark