An Introduction To House Sitting

House sitting is arranging for someone to live in and care for your home while you are away. In exchange for free accommodation, the house sitter will carry out specified duties to care for the home and any pets. Hiring a house sitter is advantageous for both parties. The house sitter benefits by earning extra income while traveling and living in different cities without having to pay for housing. In some situations, you can even house sit with your family if the homeowner is agreeable. The home owner has the security of knowing his home will be maintained and his pets have the advantage of staying in their own home, especially since most animals are not good travelers. The benefits to the homeowner are many: reassurance that your valuable property, pets, plants and garden are cared for responsibly until your return. Your house is not left unoccupied in case of a pipe freezing in the winter, a plumbing leak, a break-in or vandalism, and you don’t have to impose on family, friends and neighbors to cut your grass, collect the mail or look after your pet.

Advantages of Hiring a House Sitter

The advantages of a house sitter include avoiding extra expenditures with no need to hire pet boarders, pool maintenance or gardeners. The house sitter will usually look after mowing the lawn, tending the garden, watering your indoor plants, pool maintenance, disposal of garbage, collecting and readdressing the mail, forwarding and faxing important documents, pet care including walking, feeding, veterinary visits and necessary medications (if required), etc. The homeowner expects the house sitter to be totally responsible for caring for his home and to maintain the same standard of care. Take all reasonable steps to protect your home and contents at all times, and be sure to let your insurer know that you have arranged for your home to be occupied during your absence.

Find a House Sitter Job

To get a house sitting job, take the time to network, let people know you are looking to house sit and have them pass this information on to any one else. This can work to your advantage because the recommendation will be coming from someone that the person already knows. If another source contacts you, be sure you have several people to give you recommendations at the homeowner’s request. Another option is House Sitters America, an agency that charges house sitters a membership fee of $30 per year for nationwide exposure to advertise to clients who are pre-screened. At no cost to the home owner, the house sitter gets full access to their national homeowner database and contact information, allowing the potential house sitter to choose jobs they want in the locations they would like to live in. As a benefit to the homeowner, the house-sitting agency in their contract will usually include a condition requiring the house sitter to produce a clear criminal record. It is your responsibility to contact the house sitter’s recommendations and to verify their qualifications. Conduct personal interviews beforehand, see if the potential house sitter gets along with your pet and check if they have any experience. Be wary if the potential house sitter does not want to perform certain tasks. It is always better to be safe beforehand than sorry afterwards since your home and property usually represent your greatest investment asset.

House Sitter Saleries & House Sitting Rates

For short-term house sitting, fees can vary greatly depending on location and any services required. The service day usually runs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with rates of $20 per visit within one service day and $10 per additional visit within one service day. The overnight service usually runs from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. at $40 per night. For extras like picking up groceries or supplies, there is usually a charge of $6 plus the cost of supplies, holiday visits $8 (additional charge per visit), and after hours visits $6 (additional charge per visit).

House Sitting Contracts

The homeowner may ask for a security deposit or bond equal to the amount he would collect as two weeks rent. Since every household is unique with special requirements, there should be a house sitting agreement or contract to prevent any potential problems. This could be adjusted to fit individual needs and is best to be clear ahead of time. This may be kept as a written contract, something that your lawyer or attorney could assist you with. Your contract should include detailed daily, weekly and even monthly instructions for the following: lawn and garden care and equipment used; plant care including fertilizing and watering schedule; pet care, feeding, regular walking, veterinary visits and medications if required; pool maintenance, chemical testing, etc.; mail collection and forwarding if required; guidelines for visitors; reporting damages and emergencies. Always ensure that you leave a contact number or e-mail address where you can be reached.

House Sitting Expenses

The house sitter usually pays for what he uses – utilities, gas, phone calls, etc. If the house sitter causes any damage, he should be responsible. Usually the utilities are not paid by the house sitter for house sits of less than 60 days. If the house sitter is also caring for pets during a cold winter, the homeowner should make a fair arrangement for the heating costs to ensure the comfort of all and perhaps consider covering the utility charges in this case. Annual expenses such as property taxes remain the responsibility of the homeowner.

House Sitters: A growing Industry

With more people buying second homes for vacation purposes, longer house sitting opportunities are becoming available to those willing to live in vacation spots during the off season, including foreign countries such as Mexico and the Bahamas, and realtors can be of assistance to homeowners looking for house sitters. In these situations, the house sitter usually lives in the house year round and leaves during the times the owners come out for vacation. Many retirees with the freedom to travel to different parts of the world enjoy the experience of being vacation house sitters.

As you can see, house sitting can have benefits for everyone – your beloved pet gets to stay at home, and you have peace of mind knowing your home looks as if you never left.

We recommend visiting here to find a house sitter. Visit Sitter.com if you are searching for a nanny, babysitter, or pet sitter.