Selling a house with chickens?

[ydkjenn]

I'm not really sure where to post this because it doesn't seem to fit anywhere. I may be moving from a populated suburban area 2 a rural farming area. Has anybody had to sell their house while owning chickens and did it hinder the selling process? I was told my house won't sell if the chickens are there. I don't know if I need to get rid of the chickens while selling the house or leave them here because they can transfer to the farm if we move.

 

[azygous]

Allow me to take a stab at this. I don't believe it would be the chickens themselves that would make it difficult to show and sell a house, but the smell and mess associated with them.

If your chicken coop and run are clean and painted cheerful colors and the run and coop are cleaned every day so there is no odor and flies, most people would be charmed by seeing well kept chickens. It also goes without saying that the chickens should be kept penned when the property is being shown.

If, on the other hand, chickens are ranging and pooping all over the porch and patio and the poop is allowed to accumulate everywhere so would-be buyers are stepping in it, and the coop stinks from never being cleaned, you would certainly have a problem.

 

[aart]

Azygous makes great points.
Definitely keep birds confined and coop/run immaculate while selling/showing the place.

You need to state very clearly that the birds(and maybe the coop and run?) will be moving with you.
Who told you "my house won't sell if the chickens are there" ?
The realtor? Backyard chickens are pretty popular, it might be an attractive asset to the property.
Might depend on your area too tho.

I read one story in particular not too long ago where the buyers wouldn't seal the deal without the coop and chickens included. But the coop/run was state of the art.

 

[ydkjenn]

My coop is a beat up ad hoc contraption of a really old shed and salvaged lumber. It's not super attractive. Same with the run.

 

[aart]

My coop is a beat up ad hoc contraption of a really old shed and salvaged lumber. It's not super attractive. Same with the run.

Well, then maybe they have a point.

But if you stipulate that the birds will be leaving with you,
and keep them confined so no poop all over the place,
it shouldn't matter as a selling point.

Can you, and do you want to, take the coop and run with you??
If so, stipulate that also.

 

[ydkjenn]

I'm taking the run walls/fencing with me. The coop is a shed that was on the property when I bought the place, so it's not going anywhere. Chickens will be confined to the coop/run, or even the coop with the pop door closed when the house is showing.