If you're a city dweller looking to invest in pet-friendly home upgrades, consider next-gen landscaping and dedicated indoor pet nooks as some of your top options. If you have a bigger budget, add durable, scratch-resistant flooring and smart home technology to the list, too.
By incorporating these ideas for pet-friendly home remodels or additions, you can make the life of your furry family member more enjoyable. Depending on the upgrade, it may even boost your property's value!
One reason is that pets are driving home-buying decisions. After all, more households in the U.S. have pets than kids, as reported by the National Association of Realtors (NAR).
A fifth of recent buyers even said they considered their pet when deciding which neighborhood to live in. Familiarizing yourself with which additions are worth it can help you carefully craft a home design for pets that prioritizes their health, safety, and enjoyment.
What Is the 50/30/20 Rule for Pets?
The 50/30/20 is originally a personal budget rule or guideline. Huntington Bank explains that if used for personal budgets, it can help you manage your money by allocating it into three categories:
- Needs (50%)
- Wants (30%)
- Saving goals (20%)
You can adapt the same rule for your pet care budget, which should be a critical component of your urban pet living renovation/upgrade plan. It involves setting aside the following portions of your pet budget:
- 50% for your furry family member's essential needs (food, basic veterinarian service needs, and insurance)
- 30% for wants (toys, treats, and helpful pet-friendly home upgrades)
- 20% for big-ticket items (unforeseen vet bills or emergency care)
By following this guideline, fur parents (like yourself) can have a clearer picture of how much they can afford to spend toward creating more pet-centric city homes. It can also help you plan and save for bigger upgrades that may be beyond your budget at the moment.
What to Do With Pets During Home Renovation?
If you're taking on significant pet-friendly home upgrades that may "disrupt" your pet's everyday routine, it's imperative to keep your furry family members safe and calm by designating a safe zone. It should be far from construction hazards, such as dust and chemicals.
Be sure to speak with your contractors, too, and let them know about your pets. Set rules and guidelines, such as requiring them to keep doors and gates shut as they work on your home.
If your project will involve a high level of noise, consider daycare or day boarding. Keeping pets away from the noise can help minimize stress.
Just as crucial is to maintain your pet's routine, such as sticking to their scheduled feeding, playtime, and walking. Doing so can help your pets stay calm and reduce their risk of experiencing anxiety.
If you have the time, increase your pet's exercise sessions, too. Take them out for longer walks and more frequent park visits during the home improvement project.
It can help tire them out and serve as a happy distraction from the disruption.
What Are Pet-Friendly Home Upgrades Gaining Attention Among City Dwellers?
You don't need acres and acres of land to make your home in the city conducive to pet-friendly living. With careful planning and correct upgrade choices, you can turn your city dwelling into a haven for your furry family member.
Next-Gen Landscaping
Next-generation (next-gen) landscaping refers to modern, innovative outdoor designs that feature one or more of the following elements:
- Sustainability
- Wellness
- Deeper environmental connections
- Wellness
An example of next-gen landscaping for your home in the city is an artificial grass system with features like cooling technology and antimicrobial odor control, such as EffortlessFlow by Carla.
As it's synthetic grass, you won't have to keep watering it (saving you money), and it will stay green and looking full of life. It also feels like natural grass, making it ideal for dog runs, zoomies, and exercise.
Dedicated Pet Nooks and Suites
Even if you have minimal space inside your home, you can still designate a dedicated pet nook by taking advantage of rarely used spaces, such as the area under the stairs. You can turn this into your furry family member's "private" bedroom and convert it to a comfy sleeping suite.
Durable, Scratch-Resistant Flooring
If you have the budget, consider adding durable, scratch-resistant flooring to your list of pet-friendly home upgrades. Luxury vinyl plank (LVP), sealed concrete, and tile are some good options.
They can resist scratches and are much easier to clean than carpets.
Smart Home Technology
A Pew Research Center study found that 97% of American pet owners say their pets are part of the family.
If you're in the same boat, you likely worry about leaving them alone in the house when you go to work, or somewhere you can't take them. In that case, why not install tech-savvy gear, such as remote pet monitoring cameras with two-way audio?
You can also invest in automated feeders and smart pet doors for improved safety and access control.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Should You Invest in Scratch-Resistant Flooring?
One of the most significant issues many pet owners face is the potential floor damage their furry family members' claws can cause. Wood and marble floors can be particularly vulnerable to these issues.
They're also expensive, which is why options like LVP are more ideal for pet-owning households.
What Other Space-Saving Upgrades Can You Make for Your Pet?
Smaller homes and apartments may look and feel cluttered with pet essentials like pet dishes and supplies. If you have the same issue, consider going for built-in feeding and storage stations.
You can, for instance, convert low shelves into pet food bowl holders. You can also designate pull-out kitchen drawers with cutouts as feeding stations.
As drawers, you can hide these when not in use, helping maximize space and minimize clutter. Built-in pantries and cabinets in underutilized spaces can also be excellent storage and organization solutions for pet food, supplies, and toys.
Consider These Pet-Friendly Home Upgrades
From next-gen landscaping to pet nooks and innovative tech, these are some of your top options for pet-friendly home upgrades. With these in your abode, you can make your furry family member happier, comfier, and safer.
Check out the latest local news and other related reads by browsing more of our site.
This article was prepared by an independent contributor and helps us continue to deliver quality news and information.
