Have you sold a house since you've had birds?

It's pretty definite that my husband is taking a new job and that we are selling our house and moving. I'm excited because we have the opportunity of getting a house with more space and possibly even horse property. But it is all happening rather fast! In fact, we're trying to get the house on the marked within 2-3 weeks.

Our agent is very enthusiastic about our house and neighborhood and feels we may be able to sell it quite quickly. A house just over a couple of blocks that is fairly comparable sold in 3 days last week.

I am finding that in addition to my normal set of worries about the cats (will someone leave a door open and let them out?) I have an even bigger set of worries about the birds. First of course there is the carpet change, and having someone in to a major scrubdown. But then there is strangers trouping through the house when we aren't there.

Has anyone ever had a problem with real estate agents or potential buyers introducing something awful into the house (like running around with a can of air freshener or something)? Feeding or otherwise messing with birds? And on the flip side, how do I keep the "bird room" sufficiently spotless ALL THE TIME and still have time to worry about work and teaching? I'm not an utter slob, but the concept is a bit daunting. I might make Scooter neurotic vacuuming three times a day...

Then there is the actual move... how disrupted are birds with a house move? With luck we'll manage to get the escrows coordinated so we only have to move once and not spend time in a short stay situation. But we will need the proceeds from the sale for downpayment and concurrent escrows can always go funny. What should I expect from a home move with birds.

Finally, we'll be moving to the Palmdale/Lancaster area. It's dry here, but it is SERIOUSLY dry up there. My lips cracked to the bleeding point almost instantly. Will I need a humidifier for the birds? Any other accommodations for high desert conditions?

Here's a fun question. If you were looking for a new home for you and your flock, are there any features you'd particularly look for?

ScooterNScotty wrote:

It's pretty definite that my husband is taking a new job and that we are selling our house and moving. I'm excited because we have the opportunity of getting a house with more space and possibly even horse property. But it is all happening rather fast! In fact, we're trying to get the house on the marked within 2-3 weeks.

Our agent is very enthusiastic about our house and neighborhood and feels we may be able to sell it quite quickly. A house just over a couple of blocks that is fairly comparable sold in 3 days last week.

I am finding that in addition to my normal set of worries about the cats (will someone leave a door open and let them out?) I have an even bigger set of worries about the birds. First of course there is the carpet change, and having someone in to a major scrubdown. But then there is strangers trouping through the house when we aren't there.

Has anyone ever had a problem with real estate agents or potential buyers introducing something awful into the house (like running around with a can of air freshener or something)? Feeding or otherwise messing with birds? And on the flip side, how do I keep the "bird room" sufficiently spotless ALL THE TIME and still have time to worry about work and teaching? I'm not an utter slob, but the concept is a bit daunting. I might make Scooter neurotic vacuuming three times a day...

Sorry, can't help you with this one. I rented my other house out while we were working on moving to this one. I rented it out myself so I was always there to supervise. I've heard of people whose birds have been harassed/messed with during the showing process, but I don't know how reliable those accounts are. If you trust your realtor, I think you'll probably be fine. As for keeping the areas clean, can you buy plexiglass panels and panel out the bottom 1/4 - 1/2 of the cages to keep the messes more contained?

ScooterNScotty wrote:

Then there is the actual move... how disrupted are birds with a house move? With luck we'll manage to get the escrows coordinated so we only have to move once and not spend time in a short stay situation. But we will need the proceeds from the sale for downpayment and concurrent escrows can always go funny. What should I expect from a home move with birds.

I've moved with pet birds several times - 1) from parents to apartment: CAG, jenday and 2 tiels. 2) Apt. to house: CAG, jenday, 2 tiels, G2; 3) house to another house: CAG, jenday, 2 tiels, G2, M2; 4) that house to this house: jenday and assorted breeders. The birds adjusted pretty easily after each move. But you know how I am with my pet birds - always changing things, always out and about, etc. I don't know how much this helped with getting them to easily cope with moves.

ScooterNScotty wrote:

Finally, we'll be moving to the Palmdale/Lancaster area. It's dry here, but it is SERIOUSLY dry up there. My lips cracked to the bleeding point almost instantly. Will I need a humidifier for the birds? Any other accommodations for high desert conditions?

We moved from the heart of San Diego to high desert in the mountains. I did not do humidifiers or anything. Lotsa water. Keep them topped off. They'll bath and drink and adjust. Same with the humans. I had a bag of lactated rings in the fridge from the vet when we first moved here, just in case. But I never had to use it.

ScooterNScotty wrote:

Here's a fun question. If you were looking for a new home for you and your flock, are there any features you'd particularly look for?

I like lotsa windows and floors that are easy to clean. Enclosed decks are nice (don't have one of those but would love one). Clean-room filtration unit on the roof would be nice.

SnS, I can only give you a hint as a cleaning lady. I have never had customers, who had parrots and had their houses for sell, but I had customer, who had 2 Pugs, and one of them is not house broken(pee everywhere).
During that time, she paid me extra to come every day before my normal work including weekend days for cleaning just floors and refresh everything.
She sold that place and she is still my customer. One pug is still the same!

And about dry climate, Chicago is humid enough, but I have my throat problems after Thy surgeries and RAI, so I have to keep humidifiers running non-stop, when is too cold/ too hot to open windows.

I wish you good luck!

Moving here last August, I was really worried how the birds would react. It was a two day drive in a loud truck, my loud family, including a six year old. Plus, we stopped at a hotel for a night. When I finally got here, their big cages had to be resembled.

Me and the birds in their little tiny travel cages slept on the floor of the apartment for the first few days.

But, the move seemed to be a lot more stressful on me than the birds. I guess because they were always near each other, had perches and toys from their cages.

Once their cages were put together like they were back home, it was like nothing had changed.

I can't help with moving or anything like that, but Denver is DRY. We have 7-10% humidity during the summer- not infrequently. I don't know about your high desert, but I'd guess it's about the same. Like Roz said, lotsa water and they adjust. About the only thing I do is keep a few mugs of water on a candle warmer in my bird room to increase the humidity for my hatching chicks - not too exciting.

Merlin and I moved 10 or 11 times during our time together in Toronto... he's still a fully feathered love bug, and the change has never phased him.

Rosco moved 5 times in under 6 months when I first brought him home (once was right after I brought him home, I bought my first house with an idiot and Rosco went back to the breeders for a week while painting and moving was done, and then back, and three weeks later we all moved minus idiot in with my breeder friend for about 2 months until we moved again to my last apartment in Toronto).

Stryder is Switzerland and moves haven't bothered him either.

We've sold two houses with the birds.

The first was a townhouse, and we had to showcase the house (it was put on the market and closed in 3 weeks), and the poor birds were put in their overnight cages in the basement as we needed to make the home presentable, hence no bird cages in the guest/computer/craft room. As their cages were apart, they stayed in their temporary cages until we moved a month and a half later - they survived and had lots of out-of-cage time. Gideon was a pup, and he stayed in his kennel in the garage (fall, so not so cold) during viewings, to which I'd jet home as soon as the viewings were done to let him back out. The cat stayed in the house & never got out.

The second was our beautiful country home (about 1/3 larger than our current home), and it was SO easy to stage. The birds had their own room, and all we did was clean up every speck of dust and dirt when we were home. It was SO annoying, as we're generally clean, but not necessarily show home ready at all times. The dogs and cat went to my in laws for the 4 months it took for the floors to be redone (dogs ruin teak floors), house put up for sale, house sold (2 months on market as we sold it ourselves without an agent), and then the month and a half wait to take over the new house.

Just stage properly, empty out the unnecessary items of your house (storage/someone's basement/wherever), if you can have the cats stay at a friend or family's place until you sell it will help with the cleaning you'll have to be prepared for & no cat litter to worry about; and if people don't like the birds, it's JUST one room. Be prepared for cleaning 2-3 times a day so it's perfect. People are rather ridiculous when it comes to looking at houses & some may not be able to see beyond your feathered ones. Most, especially those with kids, will remember your house better than others & not let the birds hinder their choice.

We had a lot of boxes in our crawl space with the non-necessary items (winter clothes, all of my craft supplies, etc.); and keeping CBT running at the same time was a bit tedius as my floor tends to get decorated as I go.

I've moved a lot, sold two houses with proper staging, and dealt with the kids as best as we could in both situations. The latter being a more positive time for the birds as they had minimal change during the whole selling/buying process.

Whew - that was a long story