Let's face it...there's a lot of excitement when buying a home. The idea of more space, summer BBQs in the backyard, new paint colours and new decorating thoughts fill one's mind. You want a happy home for yourself...but if you have dogs, you also want a happy place for them too!

We're proud dog owners...our beloved Amber is more than a pet...she's part of our family. She's practically a big sister to our little girl, who is almost two years old. We're very happy where we live, and we made sure we considered our dog in our buying process.

Therefore, with so much going through your mind when buying a place, it would be wise to put yourself into Rover's shoes, or should we say, paws to consider their feelings about a new home.

Flooring:
Does the home have hardwood floors. In our opinion, a hard-floored surface seems to be great with pet owners. We all know how dogs shed hair, and cleaning up a carpet can be a big hassle. Hardwood or laminate is easy to clean, but it's important to know that a lot of hardwood surfaces are actually quite soft so susceptible to scratches, including dogs nails. Those nails can dig into the floor and leave some pretty big gashes in the floor, especially if you have an exciteable dog that runs around inside. If you have a dog that has long and/or sharp nails, a laminate floor might be a more suitable option. We've found laminate to be more resistant to scratches. If you prefer carpeting, consider the length of the carpet. If it's a long and shaggy carpet, remember that it will be more difficult to get dog's hair out, as opposed to a groomed carpet, or something easier to vacuum. If your dog is anything like ours...she loves lying on the soft carpet in front of our fireplace...oh how snuggly!

Fencing:
You should never assume that a house is fully fenced. It's a good idea to walk around the property and check to make sure all panels of the fence are in place and not about to fall off. We can't imagine a worse feeling that seeing Rover running down the street due to a missing fence panel. This also includes fencing behind shrubs. While shrubs add privacy to a yard, sometimes there is not fencing behind the trees, making an easy escape for dogs.

Around the neighbourhood:
Obviously, it would be important to know whether dog parks, or parks in general, are within walking distance. Places within walking distance usually mean you (and Rover) get out more. If it involves a car (even a short drive), it's more easy to put off that trip to the park...poor Rover won't get to see his friends as often. Also, what kinds of pet services are nearby... Where is the closest animal hospital? How far away is a reputable kennel for those times you travel? Where are you going to get their pet food? Since these may be aspects in our everyday lives, you probably should at least think of this when buying a place.

Pet-friendly complexes:
While it is true that many strata properties (condos or townhomes) have pet restrictions (often limiting the type and/or number of pets), some complexes are "pet-friendlier" than others. Be sure to look around when you're looking at properties. Do you see large dogs? Are there "no pet" signs? Do you see a lot of people walking with the dogs on a leash? All these are pretty good indicators as to "how pet-friendly" a complex is.

Overall, there are a lot of factors that go into buying a home. While Rover probably doesn't get the final say, it's important to consider how your dog will adapt to their new home. As you know, they only want you to be happy, so why not make sure that they'll be happy too.

Happy trails!

For all your real estate needs, contact Greg and Liz Holmes - The Holmes Team to help you buy and/or sell your home! Call us at 778.834.9929 or email us at info@holmesteam.ca .