i'm surprised nobody has mentioned ghosts. you could always say the house is haunted. There was a murder or two there before you moved in. You don't like to go in the room that the murder happened but it's the room they'll be staying in. if they move in you could do things to freak them out and make them think it is really haunted.
i say the best way is to exploit their fears. you mentioned he doesn't like big cats. definately get one of those...or at least rent one, then later you can say it ran away.
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Mechanical Engineers build weapons. Civil Engineers build targets.
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