Fido’s bath could help sell your home

Want to really increase the value of your home?  Make sure you have the latest upgrades buyers are looking for in their next home.  Mark Nash recently completed his annual survey of what’s in and out with homebuyers in 2008.  One of the upgrades that really stuck out to me— in-home pet showers.  Not only are buyers getting spoiled by so much choice and inventory on the market, but apparently their pets are too.

Remember when your parents used to tell you about how they had to walk to school uphill both ways, in the snow?  I can just imagine what I am going to say to my children one day.  “Kids, you aren’t going to believe this, but back in my day I had to share a shower with my sister!  And further, we actually gave our cat a bath in the SAME bathtub that we used!  Horrors, can you believe how rough we had it!”

So what exactly is an in-home pet shower?  A tiled area with a three walls that are 3 to 4 feet high and no wall in the front so your dog can just walk in and is easily accessible for the pet-washer.  It also features a detachable, handheld shower-head.

To check out some other cool, hip enhancements that may not have made the list, visit the blog www.luxuryhousingtrends.com.  They regularly feature products that will make a home feel rich and resort-like, such as mini golf courses in the backyard and mp3 players in the shower.  After you have installed all of these upgrades to your home, make sure you add them to your home’s detail page on Zillow and adjust your owner’s estimate accordingly.  You can even feature photos of the enhancements you have made.

Wondering how on Mark was with trend spotting was in 2007?  You can check out his last year’s predictions here.