Selling your house with backyard chickens...?

[Andora]

So we are thinking of moving, and my husband and I are having an argument. The chickens in our yard are mine, and he isn't partial to them, but he doesn't really care that I have them...until now. He says that people will come to see our house (for sale) and take one look at the chickens and not want to buy our home. I say it won't (or shouldn't) matter if we have a small coop of chickens in the corner of our backyard. (We live in a suburb, just fyi.)

Our coop is a play house from Lowes painted pretty yellow with white roof and trim, and the run is about 8 feet long with hardwire cloth outside and sand in the bottom. It can be removed from the coop, nothing is dug into the ground or anything. We'll of course be taking the run and coop with us if/when we move.

What do you think? Anyone have any experience putting your house on the market with backyard birds?

 

[horsejody]

As long as everything is tidy and removable, I doubt it will be a problem.

 

[AHappychick]

as a realestate agent I would like to say no it wont make a difference as long as the area is clean and smell free. But there may be a very small percent of people who do mind, but they would probably make terrible buyers anyway if they are so easily turned off and I would not worry about them. If your home is priced right and neat and clean it should sell with or without the chooks.

 

[wegotchickens]

What will you do if the buyer is soooo okay with the chooks that they want your coop to be left behind as part of the deal?

 

[Andora]

Quote:
I don't know LOL. Tell them to buy their own coop and split an Ideal order with me.

AHappyChick--That's what I was hoping, that if the rest of our house is nice, the coop out back shouldn't be a problem. We also have four cats and two dogs, but when our house is being shown I'm planning on putting one dog in the unattached garage in a crate, three cats in another big crate in the garage, the other cat outside, and taking the other dog with us in the car. I think we'll put the litter box somewhere out of the house too I guess? I'll have to think about it.

 

[toletiquesbysam]

The dogs and cats will be your biggest problem, not the chickens in my opinion. Lots of people do not like animals in the house, the destruction, the smell, the hair, etc. Remove them during showings and hide or remove the litter boxes as well. Selling a house in todays economy is not easy nor is it good price wise for the seller, so if you don't have to sell you may want to think twice about it. hgtv.com has a good message board on real estate and selling and I highly recommend you take a look at what's going on over there for other suggestions/help! Good Luck!!!

Edited to add this link....
http://boards.hgtv.com/eve/forums

 

[Indiana hens]

Rats, mice, or groundhogs under the foundation would deter me. I think you would have to leave the chickens though. As Is means: As Is!

 

[92caddy]

I know a lady who couldnt sell her house til she got rid of her birds, she had waterfowl on the pond, she had 3 people turn the house down til the birds were gone. So I guess it would all depend on where you live and what other people are looking for.

 

[Chickenmaven]

My opinion is that your DH is picking on the chickens or picking a fight, definitely not pickig his battles!

Also, I have to second this opinion: I think the dogs & cats are your big issue. (I have one, big, stinky dog BTW). You are smart to have a plan to remove them from the scene for showings. People who don't have indoor animals really, really notice the smell. That litter box should be enclosed in a garbage bag out in the garage - IMHO. Good luck to you and your hubby...

 

[chickenlady]

A friend of mine is selling their house and has a large chicken coop and run on the property. It is all brand new and gorgeous. They keep it very very clean. A few people have looked at the house and said they would be willing to pay a couple thousand more just to keep the coop and run the way it was. However, my friend says no way, the coop goes with me!