If you’re rehabbing properties in a neighborhood with a lot of pets, it’s a good idea to make sure that your real estate investment is a suitable home not just for people, but for cats and dogs too. Making your house comfortable for Fido and Whiskers isn’t hard if you know what you’re doing. Here are a few ways you can start preparing your home for pets:
- Put latches on your low cabinets. Pets love to explore, but there are some places they just shouldn’t be allowed – like into the cabinets where families keep their cleaning agents and other chemicals. Installing latches or locking handles on all of your low cupboards and cabinets will score you major points with pet owners and families with small children.
- Install an invisible fence. Instead of spending thousands of dollars to surround your yard with a wooden or metal fence, why not install an invisible one instead? These devices are a humane and effective way to keep pets and check, and they’ll definitely boost your property value if your buyer has a dog or is planning on buying one.
- Cover your heating vents. You don’t want any pets falling into your heating manifolds, so make sure to cover them. Vent covers aren’t expensive, and they can be installed in minutes. Just make sure you get a grill that’s small enough to prevent tiny paws from slipping through.
- Consider a doggie door. A doggie door would seem like an obvious upgrade when you’re flipping houses and trying to be pet-friendly. But these installations are major heat sinks. If your property is in a warm climate, a doggie door could be a welcome addition to your real estate investment, but if your winters are harsh, you should leave them out of the equation.
Making your real estate investment pet-friendly is a great idea if your neighborhood belongs to the cats and dogs. Many of the safety features you install will also be appealing to families with babies and toddlers, so don’t hesitate to make these upgrades the next time you’re flipping houses.
