Living in a doghouse? You have company
Millions of animals live in America’s homes. The 2017 National Association of Realtors (NAR) Animal House Remodeling Impact reports 61 percent of U.S. households have an animal or plan to get one in the future.
To animal lovers, pets are family. Ninety-nine percent of owners say they feel that their animal is part of the family. When looking for a new home, 95 percent of animal owners believe it is important that a housing community allow animals; 81 percent of U.S. households say that animal-related considerations will play a role in deciding on their next living situation.
According to NAR, 61 percent of buyers who own animals say it’s very difficult to find a rental property or a homeowner association that accommodates animals.
Animals also play a role in home remodeling. More than half (52 percent) of all animal owners who completed the survey undertook home renovations to accommodate their animal. The most popular projects included building a fenced yard (23 percent), adding a dog door (12 percent), and installing laminate flooring (10 percent). Ninety-four percent of animal owners were satisfied with their renovations.
Eight of every ten survey respondents felt a sense of accomplishment when they hired a professional to complete a renovation, and nine in ten when consumers completed a DIY project.
The survey also brought out some suggestions for selling a pet-friendly home. Sixty-seven percent of Realtors say that owning an animal has a moderate to major effect on selling a home. Two-thirds of Realtors always advise sellers to replace anything that has been damaged by an animal, cleaning a home to remove an animal scent, and to take an animal out of the home during showing.
NAR tabulated 3,298 responses to the survey. A "Joy Score" created a ranking between one and ten. High Joy Scores indicated greater joy from the project. The overall Joy Score for all animal renovation projects was 9.4.
Eighty-three percent of consumers own a dog; 43 percent a cat; 9 percent own a bird, reptile, amphibian, arthropod, small mammal, or miniature horse; 8 percent a fish; and 5 percent a farm animal. Twelve percent of consumers have moved to accommodate their animal, and 19 percent said they would consider moving in the future.
