What is a housesitter? A house sitter is a person whom a homeowner when leaving for an extended period of time, will entrust his or her home unto. The arrangement is usually via a contract wherein the housesitter will do some maintenance work on the property. Taking care of homeowner’s pets, performing general maintenance, keeping trespassers off the property, and taking care of pets are among the requirements made of a house sitter. Statistics show, however, that almost 90% of the reason why homeowners will need a house sitter is that is because of having pets. The multitude of sources for these services can be helpful and at the same time challenging. One of the best sources would be to look up their services online but there are a few reputable sites you can go to such as for your peace of mind. There are however a few things that you need to tick off for a smooth and productive house sitter experience.
Plan Ahead
If going on a vacation, for sure you will know these in advance. Do not wait until it is only two or three days before you leave to find a house sitter. Ideally, two months would be a good time frame in looking for a house sitter. Reputable house sitters may well be booked ahead in advance by other clients. Plan out on when to put up an advertisement for a house sitter or when you plan on actively seeking for one.
Friends and Family are good Sources of Referrals
Do not start searching from afar, look up friends or relatives that might have used the service before or go local first. Local companies are best because you actually will have a physical office to go through rather than just a virtual one. Referrals also often give you a shortcut on doing research on the company background as your friends may vouch for them.
Put in A detailed Advert
If you get no referrals from friends and relatives, put on an online advert. Whatever online platform you may be using, ensure that you put in the key details that you will need from a house sitter. Leaving out details such as a pet or a house garden will not bode well and may result in an unpleasant experience. This may be even more important if you have exotic pets such as geckos or reptiles like snakes. Even pet fishes will need special instruction for general care and cleaning.
Read Through Applications and Reviews
If you put in an advert online, ensure that you read through and not merely give a cursory glance on applications. From there on you can lookup sitters you like and contact them directly. Make sure you call and not just cat them up. A voice call will give you a more personal feel for the person and sometimes that is enough to gauge whether or not that person may be a potential house sitter for you. It will also be a good indicator of how fast they answer your calls.
These may not be all the things you may need to check out but just going through even a few of them will get you that much closer in making your house sitting experience a pleasant one.
