Anyone who’s lived with a dog knows that these furry friends quickly become important members of the household. We worry about their happiness and comfort the way we would with a human loved one. We want our dogs to feel safe in our home, and we need the peace of mind found in knowing that our homes are a secure and comfortable place for our pups to stay when we're away at work.
According to a 2017 report by the National Association of REALTORS (NAR), 99% of the people who own pets see these animals as members of the family. An NAR survey also found that the majority of American households either currently include a pet or will include a pet at some point in the future, indicating just how popular and important pets are.
If you want to add some pet-focused value to your property and help your furry family members feel more at home, consider carrying out one or more of these five highly desirable home improvement projects. These projects won't break the bank and most of them are easy DIY tasks that even the most inexperienced person can tackle.
If you had a family member who had particular physical and lifestyle needs, you’d make an effort to accommodate them, right?
Many people feel this way about their pets. The NAR survey showed that 52% of pet owners performed home renovations of some kind to make their animals more comfortable. These projects can often improve quality of life for humans as well, making them worthwhile for everyone in the house.
Giving your dog some special attention isn’t just a matter of making your home more livable for you and your companion. Many of these projects will also add value to your home and make it more appealing for other pet owners in the market for a new home.
According to the NAR survey respondents, these five projects mentioned below were the most popular renovations carried out by the participants. This means they’re not only easy to accomplish, but also likely to be highly appealing to prospective buyers looking to provide a good lifestyle for their dogs and cats.
5 Home Improvement Projects for Dog Owners
Project 1: Create a Doggie Corral
Putting up fencing around an existing yard was the most popular home improvement project among the pet owners who responded to the NAR survey. 23% of those surveyed indicated that they’d built a fence for their dogs.
Even more pet owners consider a fence to be a vital feature, with 91% reporting that it’s important to find a home with a fenced yard. If you’re part of the group that didn’t initially purchase a home with a fenced yard, you can easily fix that.
Doggy Project Budget
You have several options to consider for fencing materials. Wood and vinyl are two of the most common options.
Wood fences offer a classic look, while vinyl is durable and nearly maintenance free. Both are good options for fencing in dogs, including large dogs that may be able to claw or crash through flimsier materials.
If you need a 6 foot tall privacy fence to contain your pooch, you can expect to pay $20-$35 per linear foot for vinyl and $8-$18 per linear foot for wood.
Project 2: Invest in Tough-as-Nails Flooring
Pets tend to put floors through their paces – from accidents to food spills and claw marks, your furry family members can really make their mark on carpet, wood floor and linoleum. Laminate floors, which are durable, easy to clean and attractive, are a fantastic option for a household with pets.
This explains why 10% of the people surveyed by NAR opted to install laminate floors in their homes. This renovation project resulted in a “joy score” of 9.4 out of 10 among those surveyed.
Doggy Project Budget
Some laminate flooring is easy to install yourself, making this option even more appealing for DIY enthusiasts looking to save some money on their dog-focused renovations.
Laminate floors typically cost $2-$8 per square foot. Installation costs are extra and average about $2,475 for a 10’x20’ room.
READ MORE: Best Flooring for Dogs' Health & Safety According to Science
Project 3: Install a Dog Portal
Our pets don’t always operate on our schedule. Sometimes they want to go outside and lie in the sun while you’re trying to rush out the door so you’re not late for work. Giving your dog the power to let himself out when he wants to can be a real luxury, which is a big part of the reason why dog and cat doors were invented in the first place.
That’s probably why installation of pet doors for dogs was the second most popular renovation project among the pet owners surveyed by NAR, with 12% reporting that they completed this home improvement task.
Doggy Project Budget
The costs associated with dog door installation will vary based on factors such as the size of the dog door, the material of the door in which you want to install it and whether you shop for the door yourself or have your contractor take care of the whole thing.
You can save some money by doing the shopping yourself, and if the job is simple, it can cost less than $100 for the installation alone.
Project 4: Give Kitty Some Privacy
Cat litter boxes are a necessary part of owning a cat, but they aren’t exactly the most pleasant part of the experience. According to the NAR survey, 3% of pet owners installed a special cat litter closet in their homes. If you own a dog and a cat, this is a MUST!
I know it seems disgusting, but your dog will be enticed by the “kitty candy” left in the litter box. While it's not likely that cat litter will be toxic to your dog, it can cause some serious health issues including digestive upset or intestinal blockage.
Doggy Project Budget
It’s not impossible to have a new closet installed in your home. In fact, it can be a relatively affordable project, especially if the space only needs to be large enough to accommodate your cat and a litter box, or your dog's grass litter box.
The low end of the cost spectrum for this project is about $200 according to Fixr.com calculations, while the high end can max out at $5,000 or more.
Project 5: Throw a Pet Pool Party
Water features are always a fun addition to a yard or garden area, and 2% of the NAR survey respondents felt that their pampered pets deserved a pool of their own.
You don’t necessarily have to dig an entire pool just for your pooch; even a fountain can add a lot of beauty and utility that your pets will adore.
Doggy Project Budget
Pools can be quite expensive to install, so if you want to keep your pets’ water feature simple, you can opt to install a sprinkler system or a fountain for your pooch to romp through on a hot day.
Sprinkler system installation has the added bonus of helping you keep your yard hydrated, so there’s justification for this project beyond just giving your pet something to enjoy.
The overall cost will vary based on how much equipment you need, meaning a larger lawn will require more of an investment. For an 8000 square foot lawn, you can expect to pay $2,000-$3,000 to have the job done professionally. Fountains are more affordable, typically costing about $1,080 for professional installation.
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