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Why Use a House Sitter?
The biggest reason to use a house sitter is for peace of mind. When someone is living in your home, you know it is secure and cared for in your absence. Even if your home is in a nice neighborhood or secluded location where you think it will be safe, theft, vandalism, and unforeseen storm damage can occur. Having someone in your home greatly increases the level of security and assures that any unexpected trouble that arises is immediately addressed, before further damage can result. (I even know someone who had a tree fall on their house in their absence. If left that way, even a few days, it could have caused thousands more in water damage. Fortunately, someone was there to have the tree removed and roof patched right away, before the heavy rains could further affect the home.)
House sitting is a win/win proposition. As a homeowner, you get free security and other benefits while the housesitter receives, among other things, a cheap place to live.
What can a House Sitter do for me?
A house sitter can do anything for which you contract. One very important service is pet care. If you have to be away from home for a time and can’t take your beloved animal friend(s) along, a housesitter enables you to leave your pets comfortably in their own home while providing individualized attention to assure they remain healthy and happy. This is far better for most animals than being in a kennel, and can save you money besides. Many housesitters can also garden and do lawn and pool care. Others will do construction, painting, or other heavy work for an additional fee. A woman once hired me to do spring-cleaning while she was gone. How nice to go away for a while and come home to a sparkling house!
House sitters can be particularly important for people who have recently bought or built a new home but can not move their family there for some time. This is especially true for those owning homes in foreign places, such as Central or South America, where any empty house may be subject to theft and vandalism. There are many places that a home should not be left empty, regardless of how secluded or nice the area seems. In addition, a house sitter assures that any unforeseen incident, such as pipe breakage or storm damage, is prevented or detected and addressed immediately. Should an incident occur, having someone there can save the homeowner many thousands of dollars.
But are Housesitters Trustworthy?
My experience, as both a homeowner and a house sitter, has been that, generally speaking, house sitters are very reliable. Of course, you will want to take measures to assure you are hiring a trustworthy person. People are individuals and, they say, there’s always one bad apple in every cart, but I have yet to meet one. I have found that most people who house sit take their responsibilities very seriously and truly enjoy the pets and new surroundings they get to explore.
My next article will further discuss this issue, looking at what kind of people house sit and why.
If you would like further information on housesitting, please feel free to visit me here.
