Using impressive gymnastics to slip through holes and cracks as small as a dime, trouble-making mice invade 21 million U.S. homes every fall. Year after year, these tiny creatures ignore human pleas to keep their distance and strike fear in the hearts of Americans, due in part to their sharp teeth and disease-carrying tendencies. Suffice it to say, selling a house with mice is sure to be a tough feat for any prospective home seller.

“Buyers are very wary of mice,” says Janet Anderson, a top real estate agent in Tracy, California, who has dealt with a fair share of mouse-related surprises in her 18 years of selling homes. “I actually had a property fall out of escrow because the buyers were scared of them.”

You need to act fast to deal with the problem before homebuyers ever step foot through the door and see your home as nothing but a playground for rodents. Start with this guide featuring the expertise of leading pest inspection companies and real estate experts who’ve navigated selling a house with mice firsthand.