OkcPets Magazine September 2021

September/October 2021 • OKC Pets 33 95 percent of pet owners considered the needs of their furry friends to be important when selecting the right home to buy. More than 2,000 buyers participated in the survey, of which about 82 percent of respondents were pet owners. About 61 percent of participants were dog owners, 45 percent were cat owners, 12 percent were fish owners, and 9 percent had birds. Some folks had multiple pets. In fact, the pets’ needs were a major deciding factor, with 68 percent of pet owners saying they would pass on their dream house if it didn’t accommodate the needs of their animals. According to the survey, the features that pet owners considered the most important were big yards (38 percent), outdoor spaces (29 percent), garages (24 percent), dog runs (22 percent), and lots of indoor space (20 percent). Other perks included built-in space for kennels and litter boxes, wash stations, and easily customizable doors for installed pet doors. Oklahoma City Leads the Pack When it comes to pet-friendly real estate, Oklahoma City leads the pack. Real estate education organization the CE Shop recently named Oklahoma City one of America’s most pet-friendly cities, citing its spread-out geography, large yards, off-leash dog parks, and dozens of dog-friendly places. Lydia Hedrick, Kevo Properties real- tor and member of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Association of Realtors (OKCMAR) board, said that although many buyers want their furry friends to be comfortable in the homes, certain perks are more important than others. “One of the biggest things I’ve seen—in the last two homes, in fact—is ripping up the carpet and putting in tile or wood- look tile,” Hedrick said. “Tile is good if you have pets that might make messes on occasion or for easy cleanup of hair and fur. Tile is just more durable for pets and easy to clean.” Hedrick said buyers want fenced yards with plenty of space for dogs as well as additional indoor square footage, such as a sunroom, large laundry room, or extra bedroom. “Buyers with dogs want a good-sized backyard that is fenced in. That’s a must,” she said. “Space for a kennel or a place for a litter box is important too. Usually, that is a laundry room or mud room. For us, because we have three cats, we have the sunroom. That’s not a room people are in a lot, so that’s where the litter box and the water fountain are.” Proximity to dog parks, lakes, or walking trails are also becoming more and more important to homebuyers. “I had one buyer who wanted to be close to Lake Hefner and the walking trails out there. Another buyer wanted to be close to Lake Overholser so he could walk his dog on the trails there,” Hedrick said. Having doors that can be easily custom- ized with a pet door is another concern Hedrick has seen. She says custom home- builders are getting creative to meet the needs of pet owners. “Custom builders are putting dog washes in the laundry room and special alcoves for a litter box hidden under the stairs,” said Hedrick. “But I asked three well-known custom homebuilders about what percentage of customers want custom items for their pets. I was surprised that it was only really about 15 percent to 20 per- cent. I thought it would be a lot higher.” As more people choose owning pets over having children and with the trend of metro-area neighborhoods being built with