I’ve written this article for first-time hosts, and it’s all about how to prepare for a house sitter. From my experience as a house sitter and my numerous conversations and interactions with seasoned house sitting hosts, I will give you all the information you need to be ready for your first exchange.
Welcoming strangers into your home can be a different or uncomfortable situation for many people. Trust me, it works both ways! As full-time international house sitters with 30+ exchanges under our belts, Hannah and I have learned so much during our years on the road.
I enjoy speaking to our former hosts about their experiences with us and other sitters they have taken in. This article aims to give new or future hosts a guideline for how to prepare for a house sitter.
How to Prepare for a House Sitter
The house sitting community is varied and diverse. It has a global appeal that stretches from the UK and the USA to far-off lands like Vietnam and Australia. At any one time, there are around 10,000 homes online with active listings accepting applications.
Subsequently, it means there isn’t a one-size-fits-all guidebook on preparing for a house sitter. Instead, I will allude to some of the things house sitters appreciate and tell you of the efforts some hosts go to in making their temporary guests feel at home.
Ultimately, it will be down to you to make the experience for your guests your own. Every house sitting placement we have accepted has been a new experience, and that is why we love it! Let’s start with a few of the touches house sitters truly appreciate.
Thoroughly Clean the House
How clean is clean? One person’s spotless can be another person’s pigsty! With this in mind, when you prepare for a house sitter, consider going the extra mile to leave behind a clean home worthy of hosting guests.
We have arrived at the full spectrum of ‘cleaned’ homes, from absolutely filthy to squeaky clean. As a bit of a neat freak, my best experiences have been in homes that have gone whole-hog to clean, declutter, and make space for us to live. Granted, this isn’t always possible in smaller properties, but make the best effort possible to create a clean and clear environment.
Good house sitters will leave a house exactly as they found it. So by cleaning and decluttering your home in preparation, you too will get the benefit on your return.
Make Space but Don’t Empty the Fridge
A great perk for homeowners leaving on long vacations is that you don’t have to empty the fridge. And as house sitters, it’s a nice bonus for us to find some staple foodstuffs in the fridge. You’re not expected to provide food but if there are some staples left behind, your sitters will greatly appreciate it.
Carrying on from our first point about cleaning, don’t skip the fridge! Make room for your sitters to store their own food as they may be arriving with groceries in tow. If you have a few cross-over days with your sitters, it’s a nice way to make them feel at home.
Tell your sitters about the food situation especially if you have food and drink that isn’t to be touched. But also be clear if there is stuff up for grabs. We always text our hosts before they return asking if they would like any groceries picked up and try to leave a few nice fresh treats in the fridge for them.
Write a House Guide
Every home is different and even seasoned travelers will come up against house issues that need insider knowledge. Write a thorough guide to your home and pets that encompasses all possible scenarios.
The larger house sitting platforms like Trusted Housesitters have an online feature where all relevant and important information can be filled in for you sitters. Additionally, we enjoy having a binder packed with helpful tips, local information, and all the house advice we could need.
It may seem a bit overkill to include something as trivial as what to do if the dishwasher breaks but feel free to build a guide that will help your arriving guests and future sitters. It also means that you won’t need to be bothered with small issues during your vacation, something sitters and hosts alike can appreciate.
Cook a Meal
One of our favorite aspects of house sitting is meeting new people. The majority of our house sits have included a day or two cross-over with the homeowner so we can get to know the home, the pets, and the local area.
This can be a great experience but again as I mentioned in the introduction, having strangers in your home can be a bit of a strange experience. Embrace this situation as best you can, and make guests feel welcome by having a meal or two together. Bonds are eternally forged over the breaking of bread.
It’s not something we expect but several of our former hosts have taken us out for meals (they’re often in vacation mode and don’t want to cook!). If you’re so inclined and financially able, this is a fantastic bonus for house sitters and a wonderful way to get to know new friends.
Make Introductions to Neighbors and Friends
Continuing from the previous point, introduce your guests to neighbors you are close with and friends in the local area. This is a great way for house sitters to feel welcomed into what is usually a brand-new environment.
It will also provide them with handy, immediate contacts should something urgent crop up in your absence. Factor in that you may be in transit or in a completely different time zone during a vacation, so providing local contacts provides a double layer of security for everyone.
We’ve made great friends with previous neighbors and associates of our former hosts. This enhances our experience exponentially and creates lots of fond memories. It also gives us another reason to want to come back for a return sit.
Make Your Car Available if Possible
Having access to a car during a house sit stay can be a game changer. Hiring a car can be expensive, and often we have to reject any listings that require a car but don’t include one. The sums just don’t add up for us in many listings.
Sometimes it’s a necessity to have a car and this should be posted as such in the listing. But if you can leave a vehicle for your house sitters to use this will make for a greater experience, allowing them to get around with ease and explore more of the local area.
It also has benefits for homeowners. It’s not wise to leave a car sitting idle, as batteries go flat, tires can split, and engines can seize. Pets will also benefit from your house sitter having a car. It means they can go further afield for walks and have a standby driver to the vet if required.
Stay in Touch During the Build Up to Arrival
As you prepare to welcome your house sitter, keep in touch. We love hearing from our future hosts in the build-up to a sit. We always look forward to our next placements and a text or photo of future pets is always happily received.
Arrival and departure times can be tricky to manage but by communicating with your sitter you can alleviate most problems. Be clear on the dates you’d like them to arrive and leave so they can plan their travel accordingly.
Most house sitting websites have a chat feature but we use WhatsApp for international texts and calls. It’s more direct and if you have good WiFi there are no fees involved.
Leave Some Emergency Funds For Pets
I do not doubt that all precautions and preparations will be in place for pets. But consider leaving some cash behind just in case something crops up. In the event your pet needs an unforeseen trip to the vet or your food calculations are off, it’s handy to have a float to dip into.
It’s not always easy to make international bank transfers so unfortunately cash is still the way to go. Feel free to ask for receipts or a ledger of any expenses and even request to settle up together when you get home.
You could of course roll the dice and offer to pay house sitters back for any expenses when you return. But it’s good form to be cautious and plan to leave a small kitty for your sitters.
Help Sitters with Their Arrival Logistics
An airport arrival terminal isn’t always the ideal place to meet someone for the first time but international house sitters will appreciate the gesture if you can pick them up. It saves another expense and hassle. Arriving in a new city or country can be daunting, so a friendly pick-up service is a great bonus.
Even if your house sitters are not staying with you right away, offering to help with transport from airports or train/bus stations is a great way to welcome them. Additionally, we are always happy to take our hosts to the airport and collect them on their return – if we have use of a car – so again, it benefits both parties.
It’s not something expected or required so don’t worry if you’re unable to pick up your sitters. Often it’s just as handy to pass on any travel and local transport advice and information so your arriving sitters can plan an efficient and affordable onward journey.
Allow Sitters to Come Early and Stay Longer
As full-time international house sitters, booking transport, figuring out budgets, and arranging arrival and departure times are daily considerations. If you have some flexibility in arrival and departure dates it will help with these concerns for house sitters.
A small window on either side of a sit it allows sitters to compare travel costs. Allowing some extra nights of accommodation will save sitters from paying for an expensive couple of nights in a hotel.
Arrival and departure times can be a problem, especially with flights to catch or another house sit to get to. By allowing flexibility with your dates you can ensure that house sitters will arrive in good time, and then not be in a rush to depart. This means if you’re delayed coming home, there will be no issues with pets or an unattended home to deal with.
More Information About House Sitting
If you are new to the house sitting game, consider signing up with a free account with Trusted Housesitters to see what all the fuss is about. The world’s largest house sitting platform regularly has thousands of listings and allows new users to start using their platform for free, click here to get started.
To become a house sitting host and list your home, you will need to be a paying member of Trusted Housesitters. A basic membership costs just $149/year and includes 365 days of home and pet care. As a bonus, you will save 25% by using our discount code BEACHES25 at checkout, click here to sign up.
For more information about Trusted Housesitters, read my previous article – Everything You Need to Know About Trusted Housesitters.
Conclusion
I hope this guide has given you some experienced insights into how to prepare for a house sitter. If you’re due to welcome your first sitters soon this insider knowledge will go a long way to making it a smooth and successful experience. Good luck with your exchange.
Considering listing your home but are still unsure? Be sure to read Ten Top Reasons Why You Should Get a House Sitter.
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Permission given to use all photos of pets and homes.