Pets Can Chew Up Your Listing’s Value

Pets can take a major bite out of your home’s resale value, The Wall Street Journal reports. Scratched doors, stained floors, and chewed-up furniture can prove costly for homeowners to repair.

Homeowner Lexi Methvin knows all too well how pricey pet damage can be. Since purchasing her $1.25 million home in Basalt, Colo., three years ago, she told the WSJ that she estimates she’s spent between $25,000 to $30,000 on dog-related home repairs, carpet cleaning, and preventive measures from her three dogs.

“Anyone who has seen a puppy suffer separation anxiety knows that dogs can take a costly toll on real estate,” the WSJ reports. “These expenses far exceed the cost of owning a dog, estimated by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at between $737 and $1,040 a year.”