Of cats, dogs and home values
Yep, that's the weighty - or should I say smelly - question I am pondering over my morning coffee.
In fact, I can't get away from it. My elderly cat Teeney just strafed the carpet of my home office - again - a few days ago. Nothing like the scent of fresh cat urine to start off your day at 5:15 a.m. in the morning!
Thanks Teeney.
Anyway, my little family is at crossroads when it comes to pet ownership, with Teeney's long-time companion/foe, Keegan, having rolled over and died a few weeks ago, probably after downing part one of the tiny spider decorations we put out for Halloween. (Luckily, my three little ones, 6, 4 and 2, were all in bed.)
With Teeney now at least 17 years old, her time on the planet is probably limited here as well. And that, of course, has me wondering whether it will be worth it, when the time comes, to get another cat or even take a step on the wild side and get a dog.
By that, I don't mean the upkeep and the care - which are no big deal and especially good for children to learn.
Instead, I mean the impact on my now renovated and expanded Natick fixer-upper. Am I slowly stripping tens of thousands of dollars off the value of my house with my indulgent pet lifestyle?
It seemed like a reasonably broad dilemma - there are more than 150 million dogs and cats in homes and apartments across the country - to delve into further. (In fact, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, many are considered "family members."
Maybe so, but the online "experts" are pretty gloomy when it comes to what pets can do to the ultimate sale value of your home or condo.
Basically, if you are ever faced with trying to sell a home and own a pet or two, you should ship off Fido to a kennel, fumigate your house and then get on your knees and pray potential buyers can't detect any stray pet scents.
Discouraged, I turned to David Crowley, a long-time broker in the South End who does business across the Greater Boston area. David has a wide ranging niche, selling downtown condos one day, suburban homesteads the next.
Basically, David has seen it all when it comes to what pets can do for - or more accurately to - home values.
David was nice enough. But he was pretty clear that yes, pets can have a significant negative impact on the value of a home or condo, one that can even be calculated in dollars and cents.
While those furry lovable kitties may make great companions, beware the stench of cat urine, which can be one of the biggest turnoffs for potential buyers, David notes.
He recalls one condo he sold on Marlborough Street that fetched $20,000 or $30,000 less than what it should have thanks to cat issues. It was not an upkeep issue - the owner kept the unit in impeccable condition. But clearly the furry inhabitant of this upscale Back Bay condo must have done his business on the floor boards, leaving a smell that was just enough to turn off picky buyers.
David's advice - wait until Teeney departs for cat heaven and then get a small dog that doesn't shed.
Given that I am a sucker for small, furry animals, that is one dangerous piece of advice!
