General Rules for House Sitting

House sitting is a fantastic way of life and an amazing experience. Most of the time, home sitting goes smoothly and it all depends on the preparation. Provide the essentials for your housekeeper`s first meal in your home. Now you know what to provide and what to expect from each owner. But how do you make sure every seat in the house works well? You need home sitting policies! House guards need to remember that they are moving – even for a short time – into someone`s home, which includes all their valuables in addition to Fido and Fluffy. This dusty bottle of Bordeaux hidden in the basement may seem perfect for a backyard barbecue, but the owners may have saved the special vintage for their wedding day. Just as every pet is unique, so is every home and the rules it contains. In our experience, it is best for the owner to establish clear do`s and don`ts in advance regarding their personal belongings. When we arrive in a new home, we make it a point of honor to discuss these different rules to avoid misunderstandings. It is important to make sure you have a good time on your Housesit so you look forward to the next opportunity! Contact your insurance company to let them know that a babysitter is moving into your home. Your premium for domestic and household content should not be affected by this information.

Before you commit to a living room arrangement at home, it`s best to consider your own expectations and skills, as well as what you`re comfortable with. If you`ve lived with cats all your life and only know them in relation to dogs or other creatures, stick to the sitting position of cats. If the same goes for dogs, stick to dog seats. If you`re familiar with chickens, horses, and other farm animals, expand your search to include them as well. Most websites also allow you to search for pet-free house seats if you feel more comfortable doing so. It`s a huge responsibility to take care of someone else`s pet, so don`t take it lightly. Hi Jayden and Brittnay. I`m not sure how to approach a future situation. I returned to Australia for an ongoing medical procedure that was suddenly blown at 5+ months and stayed homestay for $200 AUD/week. The owner goes abroad for 80 days (in 5 days) and is very relieved that I want to stay at least 69 more days before my return abroad. My question is: – We discussed the fact that I would take care of the only dog (I`m a dog anyway), provide my own supplies, cook my own meals, and after that, vacuum and keep the house clean and tidy, use the electrical appliances, wash the bedding provided, without gardening, that I will not pay a bill, whether it is the construction or any other cleaning/maintenance of the house, No other responsibility in the absence of the owner.

What I`m not sure about is – should I pay rent while he`s gone, since I think I`m moving from foster care to home? What do you think? It`s also a bad idea to say you`ll be the only one staying in the house and then sneak in with other people your host doesn`t know. This is their home and they deserve to know who will be there, so always get permission in advance if a friend or loved one comes to you at any time during your stay. Inquiring about any of these things after the fact, especially if a neighbor or concerned family member betrays you, can also lead to a bad review that is not worth it and may even prevent you from getting other gigs in the future. If you find yourself sitting in a pet-free home, spending a night elsewhere for travel purposes could be an option. But ask the owners in advance. Leave a spare set of keys with your designated contact person (if applicable). Your house caretaker will need their own set of keys as well as a replacement set. You may want to suspend or cancel your personal Internet access account. Although your home caretaker may want this service to continue and may be willing to pay for the service while they are at your home.

When we were sitting in the house in the UK there wasn`t always a dryer so there were a few cases where we washed the sheets but they didn`t air dry in time. In this case, check if there are additional sheets that you can use. Otherwise, the host will certainly appreciate the clean sheets, even if the bed is not made. It`s not necessary, but it`s certainly a nice touch. With most of our homes, we baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies and left them on the counter for the owners to enjoy. However, it is not necessary that they are cookies. You can leave a vase with flowers or just a nice card that says how you enjoyed your stay and the pets. If someone hired you to sit for them, there are certain rules that come with your duties. Whether you`re staying a night or a whole month, there are a few general courtesies you need to keep in mind to make sure you`re a polite and respectful housekeeper and that you`re someone they`ll ask for help in the future. Here`s a quick guide to home seat etiquette.

Note the day your recycling will be picked up. Prepare all recycling equipment for your home babysitter. Let your caretaker know what can and cannot be recycled through your roadside pickup service. If your home is larger than your housekeeper needs, you may want to close off parts of it (for example, you can lock all but one bedroom and bathroom for your housekeeper) just to keep those parts of the house in perfect condition for your return. Especially if you are sitting in another country, it is a good idea to bring a small souvenir from your home country. As we come from Germany/Austria, we brought chocolate, Austrian salt, a small cowbell, a souvenir magnet, etc. Longer-term domestic customs raise questions that may not apply to stays of a week or two. You may want to suspend or cancel visits from your regular cleaner, gardener, or lawnmower.

If your caretaker wants to keep them, you need to discuss who will pay for these services. Mail and parcelsCan they be received in the house? After two years of housekeeping and one year of full-time sitting, I feel comfortable giving you these guidelines. Some should be quite simple and well known. Others might be completely unexpected for you. In general, the longer the session, the more responsibilities and the more policies there are. So let`s dive in. However, this is not always the case. Every homeowner and homeowner is different and expects different things from their home caretaker. Leave instructions for the safe use of your electricity and gas supply.

Show your caretaker where the affected meters are, as well as fuse boxes and circuit breakers. On the last day at the property, take meter readings so that your babysitter`s share of utility bills can be calculated on your return. (Use the fields in your original seat contract to record your meter readings.) Your usual safety systems and precautions should continue unabated in your absence. Your babysitter will conscientiously protect your household and household items in every way you describe. Your utilities must be paid for in your absence, either by you or by the caretaker of the house (depending on the financial arrangements you have agreed). However, no matter who pays for utilities, your babysitter needs to know all about maintaining these critical items in your home. It`s a good idea to make sure your home and property are clean and tidy to prepare for your babysitter`s arrival. Note that in the home living room agreement, your house caretaker agreed to maintain your home and garden in the state in which they first encountered them. Your home is like a ship and you are like its captain. Before you leave, you need to get it in shape both for your housekeeper and for your own return. Check that your lawn mower is in good condition. If necessary, leave a spare fuel can for your lawn mower.

Attach pipes to the outdoor water supply to irrigate your garden and lawn. Leave aside rakes and a wheelbarrow for your housekeeper. You can write down a list of all the areas or rooms in your home or property that you don`t want your caretaker to use (add it to your living room agreement). Check out your valuables before storing them in a safe place (e.g. with a loved one, a lawyer or in an online digital safe). Note that this list is not included in your homecaretaker`s information package. Take the time to prepare your pets for your departure, make your home completely pet-safe, and train your pet sitter in the intricacies of caring for your pets. This process is crucial to ensure that the task of home babysitting is a success for all parties (including your pets). Please refer to the escort checklist: Before you leave – checklist for pet owners. One of the worst things you can do as a caretaker is to lose your host`s trust.

Be open about your intentions to do home sitting and honest about all the time you have to spend outside the house and/or pets you`re supposed to be watching, for example, if you`re spending Christmas Day with the family in another part of town and you need to spend a night there instead. If you say you`ll be working from home most of the time and can keep a close eye on your furry friends, you mean better. It`s perfectly fine to go sightseeing for a few hours as long as it`s understood you`re back. Your home caregiver needs to know everything about the usual services in your home to make everything work.