It is best not to bark or meow when trying to sell a home

By Larry Stoller CONTRIBUTOR

We all love our pets, and most everyone loves pets, but the buyers for a home might not. Having potential buyers look at houses when pets are present is a usually a big nono.

If you want to get the highest price for your home, don’t let your dog or cat bother your home-buyer prospects. As loveable and well-behaved as your pets are to you, they can be very inhospitable to strangers. The best thing that you can do is to remove your pets while the house is being shown. Let them stay with a friend or relative or take them to pet day care. If this is not an option, take your dog or cat for a walk or a drive when the house is being shown.

It is also important to minimize all negativity that buyers may associate with your pets when viewing your home, even if they don’t see them.

Beautiful Canterbury Model/Duplex/Condominium that is located on a large private corner home site. Features 2BRs, 2 full BAs ,Off/Den, Great Room w/gas fireplace, Sun Room, attractive vaulted ceilings, lots of natural light, fresh paint, maintenance-free living & more!

If you have pet stains on the carpet or floors, get rid of them. If you can’t get the stains out, consider replacing the floor covering. Cat litter boxes, dog’s potty, cat trees and pet toys should be well-organized or kept out of sight. Pet odors and smells must be non-existent. Don’t trust your own nose – have a friend do a whiff test. It makes good sense to remove or mitigate all or most signs of your pet.

Remove pet photos, doggie doors, food and water bowls, dog or cat hair (vacuum very frequently), cages, carriers, etc. First impressions are so very important, so don’t risk turning off an interested buyer.

I have sold a number of homes with pets, and in some cases, the homes were kept so nice, well-organized and clean that some of my remarks above did not really need to be followed.

On a personal note, my wife and I have a very loveable 52-pound standard poodle named Cherie. If we ever decided to sell our home, all three of us would probably go on a nice vacation – together!

Larry Stoller is a broker and Realtor with Real Estate Five of the Lowcountry. Larry@ RealEstateFive.com, RealEstateFive.com

1936 WERNER PLAYER PIANO, excellent condition. Pump action. $500. Many rolls included, plus bench. Schwinn Drifter Cruiser bike, ladies 26” pink/white. Excellent condition, $50. Call 440-667-5399.

CLASSIFIED ADS WORK! CALL 843-757-9507.

YOUR AD HERE CAN REACH 25,000 households and businesses from Moss Creek to Sun City to Callawassie Island. Promote services, sell goods, announce a yard sale, buy a house, sell a house, find a job, find employees, ask for help, offer help! Ads starting at $28 for 40 words. 843-757-9507.

CLASSIFIED ADS WORK! CALL 843-757-9507

CLASSIFIED ADS WORK! CALL 843-757-9507

CLASSIFIED ADS WORK! CALL 843-757-9507

CLASSIFIED ADS WORK! CALL 843-757-9507

CLASSIFIED ADS WORK! CALL 843-757-9507

Go-Go Batteries & Cart Tires & Wheels

We provide weekly or biweekly visual inspection of your home or property looking for obvious issues in your absence. Fully Licensed and Insured

The largest and most reliable local, family-owned, independent home inspection company in South Carolina LowCountry. Our friendly inspectors provide thorough inspections and detailed explanations along with a same-day report. We also provide lifetime technical advice as long as you own the property.

by Murray

Through June 30

Broadway Bound Summer Camp, with Beaufort Children’s Theatre, at USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret St., Beaufort. For ages 7-11, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. All aspects of musical theatre, building self-confidence, learning acting skills. USCBCenterForTheArts.com

June 22-July 2

The Wedding Singer,” Main Stage Community Theatre at Hilton Head Prep’s Main Street Theatre, 3000 Main St., Hilton Head Island. Tickets, performances at mainstagecommunitytheatre.org.

June 22-25

“Boeing Boeing,” by Sun City Community Theatre at Magnolia Hall. Performances at 7 p.m. June 22-24, and 2:30 p.m. June 25. Tickets $26 general, $23 for SCCT members. Box office, 843-645-2700 or suncitytheatre.org.

June 27

Jazz in the Park, free concert presented by Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. at Lowcountry Celebration Park, Pope Avenue on Hilton Head Island. Bring chairs.

June 28-Aug. 20

“Jersey Boys,” Tony Award-winning story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, at Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island. Tickets on sale now at artshhi.org or 843-842-2787.

June 30-July 9

“Rent,” Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning, ground-breaking musical set in East Village of NYC, May River Theatre, in Ulmer Auditorium inside Bluffton Town Hall, 20 Bridge St. Tickets $25, available now at mayrivertheatre.com.

Through July 2

“Colors of the World,” photography exhibit by Savannah Kemper, featured at Society of Bluffton Artists (SOBA), 6 Church St., Bluffton. Opening reception 5-7 p.m. June 7 at the gallery. Free and open to the public. sobagallery.com or 843-757-6586

July 3-30

“From My Imagination to Yours,” featured exhibit by Virginia Cassidy, Society of Bluffton Artists (SOBA), 6 Church St., Bluffton. Opening reception 5-7 p.m. July 6 at the gallery. sobagallery.com or 843-757-6586

July 8

Grand Opening celebration, of new Children’s Art Museum at Jepson Center, part of Telfair Museums, 207 W. York St. in Savannah. Hours 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Engaging, inspiring exhibits and hands-on, interactive spaces for toddler ages and up.

Through July 9

“Binya: Faces ob de Gullah Geechee,” at Coastal Discovery Museum, 70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head Island. Features more than 50 portraits and related objects from the 1920s, telling stories of individuals across the Gullah Geechee corridor. Open during operating hours, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. 843-689-6767 or coastaldiscovery.org

Through July 22

“Come to the Table: A Celebration of Food and Drink,” exhibit of artworks by Denise Liotta DeMarzo at Art League of Hilton Head gallery, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island. Opening reception 5-7 p.m. June 21. Gallery hours 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-4 p.m. Sunday, 90 minutes before all Arts Center performances.

July 24-28

Broadway Dance Camp, program of Main Stage Community Theatre at Hilton Head Ballroom Dance Studio, 1300 Fording Island Road, Bluffton. Daily 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., taught by Sandro Virag, five-time national dance champion and Broadway dancer. For ages 12 to 28, all levels of experience. Space limited; more information at info@msctheatre.org.

Aug. 6-20

Savannah Voice Festival, various venues, including Hilton Head Island, in partnership with Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra. Recitals, concerts, opera, movie nights and more. info@savannahvoicefestival.org.