When Choosing a Home, Some Buyers Are Putting Fido’s Needs First

When quarantine meant that you couldn’t meet your best friends down at the bar anymore, many people went to find new best friends — in the animal shelter.

Zillow’s new data confirms something that we here at CandysDirt.com already know: When COVID-19 really hit and quarantine became the new norm, more people brought pets into their lives. And now, more than a year later, fuzzy friends are an even bigger part of our lives as home buyers are making critical purchase decisions that hinge on how Fluffy and Fido would enjoy their new digs, too.

According to the report, almost three-quarters of homebuyers reported having at least one pet in 2021, which is up nine percentage points from 2020. To accommodate their “chonks” and “good bois,” homeowners with pets are buying bigger homes with more bedrooms and more private outdoor space. Homebuyers with pets are prioritizing pet-friendly features in homes, which can help homes sell faster and at higher prices.

Ebby Halliday Realtor Mina Shamsa Burns just sold a home in Forest Hills that had just what every puppy-owning family needs.

“One of the more appealing aspects for my client was the fact that the home sat on a large lot that their two dogs could run and play on,” she said. “It didn’t hurt that the home is also walking distance to the lake and less than 10 minutes from White Rock dog park.”

Zillow’s findings indicate that buyers with pets are more likely to prioritize homes with private outdoor space (73 percent) compared to buyers without pets (65 percent). While everyone is looking for more space after the pandemic, pet-owning buyers who are snapping up larger and more suburban properties skew slightly younger than a typical home buyer without any pets — 41 years old versus 47 years old. These buyers are also more likely to have kids, which explains the need for more bedrooms.  

“Pets are widely considered part of the American family, so it follows that they can factor into moving decisions,” says Manny Garcia, a population scientist at Zillow. “This research shows an increase in pet ownership among recent movers and suggests that pets can impact housing preferences. In some cases, they may even be the catalyst for a move, along with other factors, such as remote work and shifting family priorities.” 

Some popular dog-friendly features we’ve spotted in homes include a turfed side yard for dogs, dog doors, built-in food storage and feeding areas, and the coveted dog washing station.