How pets can influence home renovations and even real-estate decisions

Many pet owners make home improvements to accommodate their furry friends. Image credit: Shutterstock

It's often necessary to make a few changes to your home when you get a pet. Dogs and cats have specific needs and pet parents are well aware of this. That's why many of them plan to make some home improvements to ensure the well-being of their furry friends.

It's a fact: Americans love animals. In 2023, 62% of the country's inhabitants owned at least one, according to the Pew Research Center. These pets have become such an important part of their owners' lives that people don't hesitate to redesign their interiors to make them feel at home. Some 48% of Americans surveyed for the latest edition of the annual "US Houzz Pets & the Home" study think of their pet as a priority when they plan to renovate their home. Many plan to use pet-friendly materials, which have the advantage of being resistant and easy to maintain (34%), or to create a space dedicated to their little companion (22%), where they can sleep or eat in peace.

For many owners, building a kennel in the garden for their dog or plonking their cat's bowl in a corner of the kitchen is out of the question. More affluent pet owners prefer to turn to interior designers or architects to design custom projects that take into account their pet's well-being, without compromising on style. For example, Dominic McKenzie, founder of London-based architecture studio Dominic McKenzie Architects, came up with the idea of hiding a cat flap in a kitchen cupboard so that one of his clients' cats could get in and out at will. Similarly, interior designer Shelby Van Daley designed an open cabinet with integrated bowls for the kitchen of one of her clients, who has a dog. 

These pet-friendly designs have become so commonplace in recent years that they've given rise to a new trend called "barkitecture." Companies, mainly in the US, have made this their specialty, offering designer furniture and accessories specially designed for pets.

But could this kind of renovation work be detrimental to pet owners when they come to sell their house or apartment? Not necessarily. A survey by Quicken Loans reports that the presence of a dog, cat, chinchilla or rabbit in a property does not deter potential buyers from making an offer. In fact, 79% of those questioned for the survey would consider buying a property in which a pet had lived, so long as it had not suffered significant damage. Surprisingly, 16% of respondents even said they would be more inclined to make an offer on a property if, when viewing it, they saw furniture, accessories or toys that implied the presence of a pet. Reassuring news for pet parents.