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House sitters, as a whole, are a bit of a strange lot. You’ve got everything from unemployed handy men to college students wanting free rent, to van- and RV- dwelling retirees. Each with their own unique set of strengths, needs, and skill sets. Some are great housekeepers who leave the home pristine, others are gifted with dogs, while others can work miracles in the garden. A sitter may make one home owner very happy while leaving a frown on the face of another. When you find that special sitter who matches your needs and sensibilities to a T, when you have that perfect “catch,” then, naturally, you hope to use that person again. And again and again. So, how do you become a regular client of a sought-after house/pet sitter? How do you get them to come to YOUR house during the holiday season when house sitters become scarce? Homeowners spend a lot of time and effort searching and interviewing for that perfect sitter. Few, however, realize that sitters are also seeking the perfect client. So what makes a great client that will draw the best sitters back to your door again and again? Really, it’s as simple as common courtesy.

I’ve been pet sitting now for over 20 years. I’ve worked everything from weekenders to gigs over a year in length. I’ve been in all kinds of homes, from rustic to fancy, caring for a great diversity of pets and yards. So what makes the “A List” for me as a highly experienced, background-cleared house sitter? In a word: courtesy.  You see, some clients treat house sitters like a valuable commodity, treating them as the gold they are. After all, you’re leaving this person with the safekeeping of your home, your valuables, and – most importantly for many – your beloved pets. Yet, after the hiring is complete, many people act as though the sitter is a janitor or other employee barely above notice. When it comes to choosing gigs, who do you think will get first priority for their time in the future? You guessed it: the client who is kindest; who most acknowledges the sitter’s value and contribution. So, for those who may not have thought of it, here’s a list of the qualities of my most valuable, “regular” clients who get first priority for my time and energy.

THE HELPFUL GREETING

When a house sitter arrives, s/he comes with an abundance of articles, from clothes to food and everything in between, needed for the stay. This often entails many trips to and from the vehicle to drag it all in. The longer the stay, the more food and other necessities that must be lugged. And, although shorter gigs require less food, a sitter may still have many things to drag into, and back out of, the house in just two or three days’ time. I, myself, have four different pillows I use for my neck and back which, in itself, is two trips to the car. So the first flag of courtesy for me is: does the person offer to help carry stuff in? Of course, if a client is aged or disabled this isn’t expected but, otherwise, it’s a common courtesy to offer aid to someone with carrying luggage, (especially if, like me, the sitter herself is no spring chicken!) And this goes doubly for people with steep driveways, lots of stairs, or other features that make many trips to and from the car exhausting. If you have an early flight and won’t be there to greet the sitter, try to have someone there to assist them and get them settled. This shows you’re thinking about their comfort and needs as well as your own.

INVITE THEM EARLY

If you have a really early flight in the morning and want to see the sitter before you leave, consider inviting them to come the day before and spend the night. Often, especially if the weather is very hot or cold, sitters will stay in an area more comfortable until the last minute in order to avoid an overnight stay in bad weather. Arriving early morning means either a stay in challenging weather or driving in the early morning darkness to arrive on time. This can be a hardship for sitters, especially those of retirement age who may not see well at night or can’t get up in the middle of the night and drive. Although it is preferable to meet before leaving, if you have no spare room to offer the night before, consider having the sitter arrive after your departure, preferably with someone there to help them unload and show them around. If you have no one to greet them, simply providing the garage door code or a hidden key will allow the sitter to enter after you leave. Although this is not preferable to me, I have had clients that had to be gone by the time I arrived and it was no problem at all since we had talked enough for them to be comfortable. And, now, with the advent of Zoom and other technologies, we can enjoy face to face time before the appointed gig so everyone feels they are adequately acquainted. 

THE WINE AND DINE

While many people barely notice the house sitter’s arrival, other clients greet them with a dinner out. This gives the client and sitter not only time to bond, but allows a relaxed atmosphere for any concerns or questions to arise that may have been previously overlooked. This is especially helpful if the sitter/client is new. Everyone feels much more relaxed about the situation after spending some relaxing time together over a meal. All of my regular clients take me out to a restaurant (or cook) before they leave. My favorite ones even take me out again afterwards! This is their way of saying “thank you” and it is deeply appreciated.

FREE FOOD

Rather than making sure to clean out the frig and cupboards before you depart, consider leaving some things to eat for the incoming sitter. They may have arrived after a long drive without the energy to shop right away or, very likely, they have a very small food budget living on a shoestring. Leaving some healthful foods in the frig, freezer, and cupboard like fruit, vegetables, and unsweetened nuts gives a sitter something to eat immediately and helps to supplement their own budget so less needs to be bought. (In my article, How to Prepare for your Sitter, I’ve also mentioned leaving nuts, nut butters, crackers, and other non-perishables as emergency food in case of power outage or the need to evacuate with animals.) So leaving some food is a good idea for many reasons. This is especially nice for sitters who will be there only for a few days. Lugging food in and preparing large meals when one is there less than a week is a lot of trouble and leaves too many leftovers for the sitter to take. And while I like leaving occasional food gifts for my clients to return to after a tiring trip I, like many, can’t spare a lot of money for food I don’t eat. Some of my clients even buy special food items for me that they know I like but can’t afford, such as something special from Costco, where they can get it cheaper than I can.  

MAKE ROOM FOR THE SITTER

If a sitter is only there for a weekend, it’s okay to live out of a suitcase. If your journey is carrying you away for a longer period than about a week, however, you will want to consider making room for the sitter to be comfortable. An empty dresser drawer or two for clothes is greatly appreciated. And, if your trip is going to be a long one, don’t forget about the frig and cupboards. If a sitter is going to be living in your home for a while, they are going to need to stock up on food, freeze portions they prepare, and so on. As a sitter, it is frustrating to come into a home with a week’s worth of groceries and find a full refrigerator and freezer with absolutely no room for my own food. Some people even have an additional freezer also totally full! This is just not acceptable. People need to eat, hence need food storage. If you want to make a good impression as a client, please take the time to clean out the frig and freezer as much as possible before leaving. Often, all the space is taken up with condiments that can be pitched. Freezers often appear full simply due to not being organized. I’ve lost count of how many times I have had to clean out a freezer to make a little room for myself, only to find that with some reorganization, there was room. It just wasn’t readily apparent. Your sitter should not have to do a full freezer cleaning to find a bit of space. If you want them to come back, please leave at least one empty shelf and one crisper drawer in the frig and at least a square foot of space (preferably more) in the freezer.

Another thing clients sometimes don’t consider is parking. If a client is going to be in your home for more than a week, necessitating runs to grocery stores or other outings, then the sitter is going to want easy access to the front door to load things in. If you are leaving a vehicle, please leave it in the garage, on the far side of the driveway, on the street or at a friend’s, and leave the parking space closest to the front door for the sitter.

BENEFITS

If you have amenities in your housing community for residents, such as swimming pool, spa, etc., make sure you leave a key or code for the house sitter to enjoy those benefits. If necessary, register them with the homeowners association or whoever is in charge so they have permission. Often, just having the key for entrance is enough to allow use of facilities.

TIP TIP TIP!

Frankly, it surprises me how many clients don’t think about tipping, especially if the house sitter is serving for free or has a lot to take care of in your home. Spraying cats, not-quite-house-trained puppies, walking dogs, extra gardening and other duties certainly deserve a tip for a job well done but, in general, it’s a good practice to always tip a sitter. If a person is house sitting for less than two months, then they are incurring an expense in time and gas just getting there and back that the length of stay is not compensating. The most desirable clients recognize the travel expense to house sitters and provide the most generous tip they can.

What is a generous tip? This answer will vary among sitters but here’s my own viewpoint. For me, personally, a stay of a month or less is when I want the highest tip. I know that sounds a bit counterintuitive but, stay with me, the reasoning is sound. You see, if a sitter has to drive someplace, then drive away in a few days or weeks, she is doing so twice on the same income for the month. As many house sitters are on fixed income, this is a common problem. Not only do we need to pay for gas to get there, but then have the same expense a second time in a short window of time. After a month, however, one has a second check to pay for the return trip, so it’s not all coming out of one month’s check. The longer one has in one place, the longer and less steeply inclined is the slope of expenses related to the house sit. Unless I’m driving all the way across country (which I wouldn’t do anyway unless the sit was for at least 8 months to a year), then I feel pretty happy that I’ve recouped my expenses after three months. Hence, not as worried about the size of the tip.

So here’s some loose guidelines on tipping. Bear in mind that the tip should also reflect the amount of work you have asked someone to put in. If the sitter is picking all your fruit off your trees and bushes, weeding your garden, and mowing your 5-acre lawn, they should certainly get the heftiest tip you can provide. Some clients actually pay extra for these duties. (If not the sitter, they’d be paying a yard service or other people for them.) I’ve contracted to paint, do spring cleaning, and other duties for separate pay on top of house sitting. I’ve also personally taken care of some animals that were so much work it was like a full-time job. To receive no tip for these services shows a complete lack of acknowledgement of the great job someone has done. So, here’s my guidelines:

For one week or less, if the person is local (hasn’t traveled) and had easy-care animals with no lawn work, a $50 tip is sufficient, at least for me. If the lawn or animals were high-maintenance, $100 is a better tip for 1-2 weeks. For 4-6 weeks, consider a minimum tip of $200. This is a sweet spot for many sitters. If they can drive away with two hundred bucks, they get a full take of gas and some food and they are happy. For 3 months, consider $200-300. Longer than that – just my opinion – the tip can go down. Free rent and utilities for six months, for example, is a great recoup of the time and gas it took to get there. (Again, provided it wasn’t all the way across country.) For up to six months, somewhere between $300 and $500 is a good tip. When you get up to 8 months and above, however, I’m happy with some gas to get on my way so we’re back to $150-200. That’s IF this was not a work-intensive gig. If someone is working their but off for months on your property, this should be appropriately compensated with a generous tip. Now, mind, if you tip more than that, I’d be very impressed and put you on the top of my list! These guidelines are the minimum that feel fair to me after many years of dealing with various situations. 

Having said all that, we sitters do recognize that some of our clients don’t have deep pockets either, so do the best you can and let them know you’d do more if you could. That way their work is acknowledged and they have, at least, a little to send them on their way.

If you follow these guidelines you will be on the top of the list for your house sitters and will have far fewer times when you find, to your chagrin, that all your sitters are already too busy for your needs.

And, as always, feel free to contact me with any questions or house sitting needs. Good luck and safe journeys!

As a homeowner, you get free (or low-cost) security and other benefits while the housesitter receives, among other things, a free or cheap place to live. But you may be asking yourself, “Can house sitters be trusted? And how can I assure I have a reliable person?” After all, our home is often the biggest investment of our lives and we wouldn’t leave it with just anyone. First of all, let’s look at what kind of people house sit. You may have wondered about this and it is certainly a primary concern. House sitters tend to fall into two main categories: people in transition and retired persons or travelers. People in Transition It is not uncommon for people moving through various changes in life to require temporary housing. This could be due to a change in schools, a period following graduating while looking for a job, a marital separation necessitating a move; a job transfer. Sometimes, people want to check out an area before deciding to relocate. Writers wanting a retreat, RV’ers needing a break from the road, vacationers, and academics on sabbatical are but a few of the many groups constantly in transition. These are usually intelligent and productive people who are simply in an “in between” time on their journey. Most are highly motivated people looking to move on in their lives in productive ways, any of whom may serve your house sitting needs well. Travelers “Travelers” is a big category, as these can range from young people back-packing around the world to retired people enjoying the “golden years.” The latter is discussed below. Here, I wanted to say something about “young” travelers. I have known many people who have traveled the world with little more than a back pack. At first glance, this may seem a bit scary to a homeowner. When looking for a stable person to watch over your possessions, a backpacker may not elicit a particularly positive response. And certainly not all back packers are appropriate. However, it’s also good to look at why these people travel and how they travel. Many back packers are people in their thirties. These are creative, independent people who have accepted the challenge to find ways to both work and play according to their own unique vision of what life should be. They often have their own businesses, which they can do several months on and several months off, or they have work they take with them wherever they go (stock traders, massage therapists, yoga teachers, etc.) They are not necessarily drop-outs, druggies, or whatever other negative label we may conjure. One of the good things about this group is that they tend to be strong and healthy and can often be contracted for heavier work while you’re away. Having said that, however, I would certainly heed a good screening system when using young travelers. Retired Persons Let’s face it: once we’ve been “chained” to a job, a desk, or other lifestyle for a few decades, we deserve some adventure. And, today, more retired people than any time in history are selling their homes and hitting the road. Among their strategies, these people are buying RV’s, taking jobs as park attendants, and house sitting to see the world and supplement income. Retired, semi-retired, and older self-employed people present many advantages to the home owner. First, they are often former home owners themselves. As such, they have a deeper appreciation of the investment involved than a younger person may. They have also seen their share of broken pipes, leaky toilets, septic tank back ups, pest incursions, bad tenants, security issues and the like. This experience, combined with their broad life experience in general, enables this group to respond to unexpected situations with a wealth of knowledge and confidence that may be lacking in someone with less experience. Just make sure, in hiring a retired person, that their health is good enough to do what is required. But this is usually the case, since unhealthy and frail people don’t ordinarily choose to galavant about. Thank you for reading my house sitting blog. In my next post, I’ll discuss how to locate and interview prospective house sitters.

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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.

It is easy to find willing house sitters. With the mobility of our current society, house sitting is a service whose time has come and there are many reputable companies providing these services online and at the community level. If you are going to be gone a short period of a few days to a couple weeks, a local person is often your best bet. Start by telling people you know that you are looking for a house sitter. Word of mouth will often bring interested candidates forward. Even locally, however, websites can be of value. Many local people utilize these services to increase their customer base. Ads can be found or placed on sites such as Housecarers.com, Craigslist.org, Rover.com and others.

If you are considering using one of these sites, make sure you do some background research. Try to find out from other sources whether the site has a good reputation. Find out what checks the site conducts on the people their sitters. Most now have police checks and many now provide ratings and badges based on additional background checks, ID verification, how quickly and well the sitter responds, performs on the job, etc. Find out whether they have insurance in place to cover any highly unlikely but potential theft or damage caused by a sitter.

The house sitter you are considering should have excellent references. Try to get three references as a minimum. Make sure that you are able to contact these referenceseither in person or by telephone. For extra peace of mind, make sure that the house sitter is able to show proof of a clean criminal record. Reputable house sitters will not be offended by these questions.

It is important to not only to trust the references, but to trust your own instincts. If you have interviewed a prospective house sitter and you are still unsure, take time to think it over. If necessary, see a few different sitters until you are happy with your choice. The way that a house sitter dresses and conducts her/himself during an interview will play an important part in your choice. The prospective house sitter should not mind answering all of your questions, no matter how strange the questions may seem.

Most sites now offer ID verification but, if you don’t see it, ask to view the sitter’s ID. If you have a printer, make a copy of their driver’s license. Though you will probably never need it, it is a good backup precaution should you need to hunt the person down.

If you have an animal with special needs such as medications, a particularly challenging personality, behavioral issues, or elderly, ask the sitter what kind of experience s/he has with that breed, issue, etc. It’s okay if they don’t have experience. Hire the person you hit it off with and feel most comfortable with, but be prepared to explain your feelings and needs in detail.

Look at what other experience a person has in life. If an applicant has no references but you like them, take a look at what other things they’ve done in life. Has she had pets of her own? Has he had a high-responsibility job in another field? How about a job that handled stress and emergencies. Often, these folks make great house sitters. I am grateful to the people who gave me a chance when I was first starting out. Though I had no references, I had a professional background in social work (highly responsible, often handling life-threatening issues), plus some experience in property management while working my way through college.

Lastly, after taking all necessary precautions to hire a reliable and trustworthy person, be sure you are also keeping their needs in mind. Many house sitters fall into the category we would call in social work, a “vulnerable population.” They are usually low-income, they may be older or disabled in some way, and they frequently have to report to the gig without having ever seen the home or met the owners in person. Be kind and courteous. Remember that house sitters, especially those working for free, are doing a great service to you. Be sure you tell them in advance of ALL duties they are required to do, and inform them of anything about your home or property that may put them off upon arrival. This could include noise, pollution, renovation work-in-progress, and other people that may come and go from the house.

If you follow all these guidelines, check the person thoroughly, and be sure to give a correct and in-depth picture of your needs and your property, you can feel assured of a high probability of having a satisfying experience with your house sitter(s).