House Sitter

House Sitter FAQ
By Ben Waterworth
 
Here are a few frequently asked questions to read through before you consider taking on the role as a house sitter.
 
What is a house sitter and what do they do?
It's essentially exactly what it sounds like it is. A home owner invites somebody to come and be a house sitter or 'sit' with their house while they are away for a period of time and look after everything in the house, from pet care, cleaning and general maintenance. House sitting is not the easiest of work if you don't want to do much hard labour, but it is quite rewarding.
 
What advantages are there for being a house sitter?
House sitters job is fun, especially when you can work with birds, such as parrots, go for dog walking, or even pursue your own vocation, such as pursue carpentry work in Australia. House sitters are wanted in many homes where the couple is working and need house sitting chores to be completed by someone else.

Well you get to live rent free in a house that is generally fully furnished and filled with all the essentials. You also get to work with interesting and exciting people all the time as well as getting to work around animals if the owner has pets which of course are always exciting! It can also take you around the country and to other unfamiliar places if you are willing to travel for your job.
 
Who become house sitters?
Any responsible adult can be a house sitter! You have to be reliable and trustworthy to obey the house rules and have a good work ethic to really succeed in the industry. You should also have a love for animals and know how to look after most domestic pets, such as perform cat grooming. If you have to house sit on a farm then you should have some knowledge on how to look after farm animals as well. For instance, keep rats and mice at bay or know how to tackle ants, spiders, and snakes. 
 
What is expected of a house sitter?
This is entirely up to the home owner. Some owners may just want you to look after the house and do very limited amount of chores, while others may require you to do lots of hard labour in order to maintain the property. Generally you will have to do basic cleaning, feeding of animals, collecting the mail and ensuring everything is kept safe. On some occasions it will be your responsibility to pay bills and buy food. You may also need to perform training and grooming tasks for animals. In a way, you may have to be a house pet sitter.
 
What cost does it have to me?
A lot of the time you will find it's free to register on a house sitting website to put your services out there, and then you will mostly find it is also free to live in the home owners home you will be house sitting for. Sometimes it will be up to you to pay for whatever power, internet or other services you use and of course the food you will purchase during your time as a house sitter.
 
How do I get a job?
After you have registered on a house sitting website you can post your experiences and what you offer through their public boards, or simply post flyers around your neighbourhood or even take out an ad in the yellow pages. Then it's simply a waiting game to see if any clients will call you and when your first house sitting job will be! You will then be called by a client who will usually request some form of interview before inviting you over to go through the tasks they require of you and setting out some form of contract to follow.
 
What Do I need to bring?
Pretty much just clothes and other general items you will require during your time at their house. Think of it as a holiday, you will of course not bring furniture or items like that when you go away so just take what you would if you were staying at a hotel. Always check with the home owner in regards to items such as towels and bedding if you need to bring your own or if they will supply them for you.
 
Who will pay for power, internet and other things like pet food?
That again is entirely up to the home owner. If they require you to put in for some of it then they will tell you before your stay begin. If they have paid for everything in full before you stay then they will also let you know. You should never just expect them to pay for everything as more often than not you will have to chip in some money.
 
Should I sign a contract they put in front of me?
It's always a good idea to have a written contract with your expected duties so that both parties are covered in case of a disagreement. If you don't complete all duties on the contract then they may have a right not to pay you your full amount, or if they then claim you haven't done what you asked them too you can always check the contract to see what was written there. It really doesn't take much effort to put one together and arrange something before the commencement of your house sitting job. Find out what steps to take during house sitting emergency situation or if you need to go to a vet.
 
Can I leave my job early?
Of course not. By committing to a house sitting job you are committing to a job, so you will need to ensure that all previous engagements that may conflict with your stay at your client's house are sorted out before you begin the job. You need to realise that a house sitting job is just like any other job you will have and there is a certain amount of professionalism that needs to be followed in order to make your job a success. Obviously if an emergency presents itself then you would need to contact the client in order to discuss it with them. Whether you are caring for pets, performing duties as a cat sitter or dog sitter, or whether you are want to stop a dog from jumping up, it is prudent to find out about the timelines for the job. 
 
Can the client cancel my stay early?
This is something that you should work out prior to your stay in the contract. Something like the client having to give a weeks notice to them ending their holiday or something along those lines would be perfect in order to cover your bases to ensure you still get paid for your services.
 
These are just a few questions that are asked frequently of house sitters before the commence their new career. Remember, house sitters are required at all times in various homes. Always talk things over with potential clients on tasks you need to perform to sort out other issues you may have before hand so that you can always have a happy house sitting job as well as a happy client at the end of your stay!