So, you’ve just been accepted for your first house sit and are wondering what it’s going to be like. In this article, I will give you the benefit of our years of experience house sitting and let you know exactly what to expect from your first assignment.
Every sit will be different, but I have seen many similarities across the 25+ house sits we have completed.
I hope this blog will leave you feeling well-equipped, informed, and ready to get started.
Communicating With the Host Before It All Begins
Chances are you will be house sitting for strangers in another city, possibly on the other side of the world. But making a connection with them before beginning your first house sit is an important step to take.
If you’ve had a phone call or video chat before being accepted, then you’ve already made a connection. But be sure to continue this communication in the build-up to the start day of the sit. Ensure you have all the details you require before your date of arrival.
Things like daily responsibilities, arrival and departure times, and household instructions are all important things that you need to know. If pets are involved, then there is generally a much greater level of information to take on.
Most house sitting platforms, such as Trusted Housesitters, have a chat feature. But I’d recommend making a connection via WhatsApp for a quicker and smoother line of communication. It’s also a good way to keep in touch without expensive international phone charges during your stay.
Arriving at the House
Hosts generally like to meet you in person and have a face-to-face handover. This is especially true when pets are part of the deal. It’s perfectly understandable, they are after all leaving their home, pets, and worldly possessions to a stranger they met online.
Many people we have sat for have invited us a night, a few days, or even weeks before the sit begins. On accepting a house sit in Durham, North Carolina in the summer of 2023, the hosts invited us to come whenever we wanted and stay as long as we wanted after too. We turned it into a 3-month stay!
This a great way to extend the length of your trip and save a fortune on accommodation costs. It also enhances your overall experience by meeting people from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds. But if meeting new people is not your thing, that’s okay too. Just be prepared that there is generally some temporary overlap between the host and the sitter.
Getting to Know the Home and Pets
Some pets can be wary of new people, so you may need to put a little time in to make them feel comfortable. I’ve found that once they learn you are now the one feeding them, they quickly come around!
Likewise, some homes require a little daily TLC. Be sure to take in all the information that the host gives you and read any house guides or manuals.
Ask questions if you are unsure about any aspects of the home or pet’s routine. It’s better to be clear and show concern for getting things right rather than making mistakes that could lead to a bad review.
The First Night
Settling into a new place, whether it’s an Airbnb, a hotel room, or a house sit is always the most difficult part for me. I say this as a full-time digital nomad who currently does not actually have a permanent bed of my own!
But knowing what to expect during your first house sitting experience can be a major benefit in becoming relaxed and settled in a new place. Every home seemingly makes different noises, pets certainly do, and the environment in which you can find yourself can frankly be a little uncomfortable for a while.
If you’re cut out to be a fantastic house sitter you’ll also feel the burden of responsibility on your shoulders. After all, you are looking after someone else’s entire world. It is okay to feel these things and after a while as routines settle any feelings of anxiety will dissipate.
The First Full Day
After the most difficult part for me comes the part, I most enjoy. The first full day in charge of everything and setting out to explore a new area. After all, this is why we sign up for house sitting, is it not? The majority of hosts we have sat for have always done everything they can to ensure we enjoy our stay. They are being reviewed as well, don’t forget.
A welcome guide or starter pack is usually offered by the hosts with local recommendations and ideas to enhance the experience and quality of your stay. Again, don’t be afraid to ask for suggestions and ideas for things to do if needed.
In the buildup to the start of the sit, I have no doubt you will have looked into all the possible fun things available during your trip. But the first day is a great chance to put this research into action.
During the House Sit
Communicating with the host is usually a prerequisite for taking on a posting. This is especially true if you are taking care of pets. We did have one pet owner who wanted a daily photo of her dog, every day, for 3 weeks!
Balancing the number of times you should check in with the host is something you will need to feel out on your own. This should be discussed at the handover and will often become evident and obvious when you speak to them. I can’t tell you what to expect from your first house sitting experience on this one, as hosts have different requirements.
As an average, I would say most people either request or check in every few days just with a message or a photo of the pets in your care. It’s a reassuring way to keep them happy.
The Final Day
Time flies when you are having fun and before you know it the sit will be coming to an end. Hopefully, you’re straight on to the next one. Be sure to speak to the homeowners about their return plans. We’ve lost more than a couple of paid hotel nights because the hosts had their return times or days wrong.
Most hosts don’t require a face-to-face hand-back in the same way as they require the handover. You will usually be free to leave when you like on the final day. They usually time it so they arrive home a couple of hours later.
Pets can complicate this for sure. But let’s say you are taking care of a very needy dog that can’t be left alone for more than 4 hours. The host has probably accounted for this in their travel plans, but it’s worth double-checking.
Post-Sit
If all goes smoothly I expect you’ll only hear great things from your first house sitting experience. Pretty much all the house sitting platforms out there use a review-based system, meaning both hosts and sitters can be reviewed after the sit has finished for the benefit of future hosts and sitters.
Subsequently, every house sit is the chance to secure another top rating for your profile and boost your burgeoning reputation as a successful house and pet sitter.
Likewise, be sure to leave honest feedback for your host, it helps them secure sitters again next time and passes on advice to the next in line so they can better prepare for the task at hand.
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Honesty is the best policy, so although I’ve just outlined an ideal scenario of what to expect from your first house sitting experience, let me give you a few home truths to be aware of. These are all either things that have happened to us or that we have heard firsthand from fellow house sitters.
The Most Common Things That Could Go Wrong
- The host is delayed coming home. This can be a big problem if there are pets involved. We’ve had a couple of pet parents get their return times wrong and we have lost pre-paid nights in a hotel.
- A pet gets sick. Most of them do, dogs will often eat anything they see and I’ve had several pooches spend a few hours barfing up. It’s concerning, so speak to the pet parent about any health concerns. You’ll also usually be given a vet number to call.
- Something goes wrong with the house. On the first day of a house sit in France, the septic tank encountered an issue and made the house smell pretty bad. The only thing to do was to call the owners (on their first day of vacation in Australia!) and ask them to get it fixed. All homeowners know things go wrong, that is just a fact of life and they will probably be grateful you’re there to help sort it!
Some Uncommon Things That Could Go Wrong
- The house is a mess. Pictures can be deceiving and as a super clean person, one of my biggest fears is arriving at a home and finding it to be a complete dump. This has happened a couple of times and unfortunately, there is not much you can do but start scrubbing.
- The host cancels. This can be a huge problem especially if you have booked flights and the sit is in a city where accommodation is expensive. Trusted Housesitters’ Premium Membership has a cancelation policy that covers this eventuality.
- The pets are a handful. This is a rarity but again it has happened. Usually, it’s regarding sleeping patterns with cats meowing and clawing at the bedroom door or when walking a dog who actively hates every other living being. Be patient, stay calm, follow the pet parent’s advice, and be glad they are not your pets forever!
- You need to leave early. Hosts will often have a failsafe in place and insurance options through the house sitting sites for this eventuality. But, just be sure you have a valid and understandable reason for having to leave to avoid negative feedback that could hamper your future sitting potential.
- You got a bad review. Don’t panic, if you feel that the negative review isn’t warranted, speak to your house sitting platform and seek a resolution. Try to avoid conflicts by having open lines of communication with your hosts and addressing any issues head-on.
Final Thoughts
I hope this article has given you an insight into what to expect from your first house sitting experience.
My final advice is to keep an open mind and remember that house sitting is a two-way experience. Be worthy of the trust the host has extended to you and be sure to abide by their requests thoroughly. But also remember to enjoy your stay and have a fantastic experience.
If you have any comments or questions about house or pet sitting be sure to get in touch. Read more about house and pet sitting with our previous articles, How to Become a Successful House Sitter and 5 Important Things We Wish We’d Known About House Sitting.
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