Homebuyers who are also pet owners are more likely to pass on a perfect home if it does not meet their pet's needs, research says.
A survey involving more than 2,000 homebuyers was conducted in March, where about 82 percent of those who responded were pet owners. The survey revealed that almost 95 percent take into consideration their pet's needs when choosing a home.
Of the respondents, 61 percent were dog owners, 45 percent were cat owners, 12 percent were fish owners, 9 percent owned a pet bird, and others had multiple pets. Pet-owning homebuyers prefer that their new home has certain features to accommodate their animal, including big yards (38%), outdoor spaces (29%), garages (24%), dog runs (22%), and lots of indoor square footage (20%).
A great majority of these pet-owning homebuyers--about 68 percent--will pass on a dream home unless it meets the needs of their furry friend. That figure is not surprising, considering that 87 percent of dog and cat owners believe their animal companion's needs are extremely or very important in choosing a home.
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It's not just the dogs and cats owners who consider their pet's needs a priority, though. Even bird owners (89%), fish owners (85%), rodent owners (yes, they too! 79% to be exact), and horse owners (74%) consider their animals' needs when shopping for a home.
The survey seems to agree with a survey on pets in the home buying and selling process from the National Association of Realtors, or NAR. Eighty-one percent of the realtors surveyed consider themselves animal lovers.
Realtors who responded to the survey also said that among the most critical features that their pet-owning clients look for in a home include a fenced yard, a home large enough to accommodate the household and pet, and flooring.
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The NAR survey revealed that 43 percent of households would be willing to move if it meant that their pet would be better accommodated. Eighteen percent of the realtors who responded to the survey said that they had represented clients that moved into a new home solely for their pet.
Also, 68 percent of the clients said that animal policy influenced their decision to either rent or buy in a particular community, as these community guidelines can include an additional expense for them. The average annual pet fee for a single-family home and condo owners in HOA communities, for example, is $300; for renters, the average pet fee is $400, the report said.
According to the 2019-2020 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, dog and cat owners' basic annual expenses include surgical vet visits ($426-dogs / $214-cats), routine vet ($212-dogs, $160-cats), food ($259-dogs, $228-cats), food treats ($76-dogs, $58-cats), kennel boarding ( $229-dogs, $120-cats), vitamins ($58-dogs / $54-cats), groomer/grooming aids ($73-dogs / $43-cats), and toys ($48-dogs / $31-cats).
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Sixty-seven percent of U.S. households own a pet or about 84.9 million homes, the survey also revealed. When the first-ever APPA National Pet Owners Survey was conducted in 1988, 56% percent of U.S. households owned a pet.
The number of pet ownership in the U.S. households include those who owned a dog (63.4 million), cat (42.7 million), freshwater fish (11.5 million), bird (5.7 million), small animal (5.4 million), reptile (4.5 million), and saltwater fish and horse (1.6 million each).
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