Pets Play A Role When Buyers Look For Homes

If you’ve ever had a pet, you know that they quickly become a member of the family. And, for most pet owners, keeping them healthy, happy, and comfortable is important.

That much isn’t a surprise. What may be, though, is just how much pet owners make them a priority.

For example, a recent survey found that 95 percent of prospective home buyers who owned a pet said their furry friends would be at least somewhat important when choosing a home to buy.

The vast majority ranked their pets’ needs as “extremely” or “very important,” with 84 percent saying so.

That’s nearly unanimous. But, if you’re thinking they’d change their minds if they found an otherwise perfect home that wasn’t a fit for their animal companions, you’d be wrong.

In fact, 68 percent of participants said they’d pass on a perfect house, if it didn’t meet the needs of their pet.

The survey, based on responses from more than 2,000 people, also found that it wasn’t just dog and cat owners who were so devoted to their pets.

Among bird owners, 89 percent said their needs were extremely or very important, with almost as many fish, reptile, rodent, and horse owners saying the same.

My thoughts on how pets play a role during home buying

As a dog and 2 cat owner myself, I couldn’t agree more that pets are part of decision making factor during home buying.

Non pet owners may not understand it and say they’re just dogs and cats, what’s the big deal? No, our furry friends are not just dogs or cats. They’re our family members.

As a non pet owner shopping for a home, you try to accommodate for your family members such as more bedrooms, safer neighborhood, close to schools, closer to work and etc.

Same can be said for pet owners on top of traditional needs and wants. We want to know if there’s a park nearby preferably in walking distance, reputable veterinarian accessibilities, pet boarding, pet stores and the list goes on. To us, all these are serious decision making factors.

If you had the chance to do it again, what is one or perhaps several amenities you would not give up on home buying? Let us know in the comments below!