House Sitting

Nomad. Yes, that’s what we can call house sitters, although you may have a permanent address. House sitting, will it work for you? Here are some tips on how to be the best house sitter:

You should be impeccably trustworthy. Why? For obvious reasons of course, homeowners will have to entrust their homes and other properties to you. When posting notices on local bulletin boards make sure that you have a reputable record, this can be verified through your friends and families you have worked for.

Once you receive a call about a house set up an appointment to meet the owner of the house. During the meeting you can learn about their pets and layout of the house. Make sure to take down notes for noticeable damages and other important details such as the electric meter, gas meter and etc. By doing this you can show the house owners how responsible you are and you are really serious in looking after their house.

Like animals! If you’re getting involved in house sitting you should learn how to appreciate animals, if you are not already an animal lover. Majority of people will have pets for you to care for. Some animals require intensive care while others need to be let out every once in a while. Make sure to ask the owner about the pets routines and that includes feeding and bathing.

Make sure to find out specific and important details like where to find the mop, cleaning supplies, gardening equipment and such. Ask your sleeping arrangements, some homeowner let you choose to sleep in any one room or in the couch.

When moving in you shouldn’t have too many personal belongings because they tend to get left behind and inevitably annoy people. Few changes of clothes and a book or two will suffice. You will need more or less food depending on how long you will be staying.

Settle in ONE room. Do not try to spread too much because it will only get harder when you leave. Try to contain your belongings to the bedroom and kitchen as much as possible, so that when you leave you wont rummage through the whole house.

Enjoy your stay. The most important and basic rules in house sitting are to not trash your client’s house. Clean up immediately. If you follow these house sitting tips, you may as well be called one of the best house sitters ever.

House sitting looks complicated. Not if you follow these house sitting rules for both the homeowner and house sitter.

Homeowner Rules:
Complete a list of requirements before hiring a house sitter.

During selection, choose the right house sitter by creating a correct candidate profile according to your needs. Of course you do not want an out going person if you want your house to be stayed in 24/7.

Create detailed and specific instructions. Including all minor and major house keeping responsibilities. For example: Water the plants every day. Feed the dogs 3 times a day.

Give important details that might be needed by the house sitter. Such as, alarm code, emergency numbers, alternative contact person and vets number if any. If you asked your sitter to forward your mails give your address as well.

It is a good idea to tell people like close relatives, friends and neighbors that you have a house sitter coming in during the time you’ll be away. It avoids unnecessary concerns and embarrassments.

Ideally, try to make a list of your valuables, identifiers and private papers. Put them in a secure place preferably under a locked room.

Provide for your sitters needs. Give a spare key, linen, supplies and storage room for your house sitters’ belongings.

Now for the house sitter this is more of a do’s and don’ts
House Sitter Rules:

Do not trash the place. Don’t invite your friends over unless permitted.

Don’t use the client’s things, again, not unless you are permitted.

Don’t make long distance calls from the home’s landline. It’s better if you just use your cell phone when making personal calls.

Do not spread out your personal belongings all over the house.

Do not leave the pets unattended. Never leave the pets for a long period of time other than what the owner suggests. You won’t want all the mess they’ll make when you get back.

Contain all your belongings in one room or place.

Treat the home as you would treat your own home.

Introduce yourself to the neighbors, or at least do when someone asks.

Obtain all utility receipts for reimbursements.

Do your responsibility seriously and perform all daily tasks.

Contact owners when there is an emergency or when needed.
House sitting is a marvelous way to provide and generate income. Following these simple house sitting rules for both parties can make it easy like Sunday mornings.

If you often go abroad or a frequent business traveler or you would like to go on a long vacation with the family but you want to have peace of mind that there is someone watching over your house and properties, you may wish to avail of house sitting services.

At present, it doesn’t matter where you are. House sitters from many other countries are willing to travel to care for your house and pets while you are away. Most of the time, international house sitting is enticing for house as they get to travel to other countries and stay in a house free of rent. Imagine how much they can save from spending in hotel accommodations.

Individuals like young adventurous couples, or retired couples who likes to house sit for dozens of reasons. Retirees love house sitting to explore other countries and enjoy the change of location at lower cost. Students also look for house sitting opportunities because it is a cost-effective way to study abroad. Writers, artists and other professionals who can do their regular jobs even when hopping into different places or countries also find houses and do pet sitting to experience new environment.

However when hiring an international house sitter it’s advisable to house sitter that also suits your needs. In finding a house and pet sitters, it is best to refer online. This way you can select the best sitters who you can trust as it allows you to see their personal information. It is of high importance to get someone who can do tasks and responsibilities you will be assigning them. Checking their background and conducting interviews can also help a lot in choosing a house sitter. Feel free to ask for work experiences and references. Inspect if the sitter has been in the business for a length of time, they should be willing to give you a couple of contact numbers or email addresses of their previous clients.

Hiring a pet sitter is not as difficult as it seems, if you know what you are looking for. Start searching at least several weeks before you leave so that you will have ample amount of time to work out all the details you need to know. You’ll be thankful for it.

People are customarily unwilling to leave their homes unattended for a pro-longed period of time while they are elsewhere traveling. The thought of burglars or intruders marching into their homes and destroying their property or garden and landscaping while they are gone brings horror to home owners. Others frequently fret over their mails and newspapers being trashed and not collected in time. That’s why others prefer to hire house sitters to care for their homes and mails to discourage crime. Other than that, house sitting can also help in avoiding extra expenditures like storage and mail forwarding.

House sitting duties normally includes the maintenance of the home and yard. Sitters are usually required to perform light housekeeping tasks to retain a dust and clutter free house. In addition, watering plants, grass and outdoor greenery is expected. If a sitter is in charge over an extended period of time, it is also a requirement to ensure the grass is cut and tress, shrubs and foliage are trimmed and pruned.

Paying utility bills and opening mail that needs urgent attention are also part of the house sitters administrative tasks. Sometimes the resident may ask her to monitor bank account activities, There is a list of contractors often supplied by the house owners to the sitter in case there are unexpected electrical or plumbing repairs. Answering phone calls, messages and greeting visitors are part of the sitter’s job.

Occasionally, a house sitter may be mandated to care for the pets, frequently feeding the pets, such as birds, cats, dogs, fish, hamsters or small reptiles. If the homeowner has a dog she may also be required to take it for a walk in the park or take it outside just to exercise and meet its bodily function needs.

More often than not, a house sitter builds her resume and list if references by providing services for friends and family before seeking work from the general public. Since there is no educational requirement for this position, having a driver’s license may be compulsory when seeking house sitting services.

If you leave your property unattended for an amount of time the risk of someone breaking in and robbing your valued properties increases. Some people might think that it is simpler to close their house up, lock the doors and leave rather than going through the process of finding a house sitter, sadly, reality is the more signs of your home being unoccupied such as mails and newspapers piling up in front of your house makes your house an easy target for burglars.

House sitting is a practice where a homeowner leaves his/her house for a period of time and entrusts it to a house sitter. A mutual agreement is made between the homeowner and the house sitter, where he/she may allow the sitter to stay in the house rent-free in exchange of taking housekeeping responsibilities like receiving the mails and newspapers, performing general maintenance, gardening, dusting, do not allow any trespassers in the property, and generally, make sure everything runs as smoothly like how the owner would’ve done if he/she was home.

Now you may be wondering who will pay the utility bills while you are away. Customarily the house sitters will shoulder those expenses during their stay. This removes the anxiety from the homeowner who may be concerned about coming home with a large electric, gas and phone bills. All the other bills, such as mortgages, taxes, and home insurance are still the responsibility of the homeowner.

Homeowners who will avail house sitting services for the first time are also reluctant to leave their homes to total strangers. They prefer to have some sort of house sitting insurance. Sometimes, it is upon the homeowner’s discretion whether to ask for a bond or security deposit, this deposit is normally equivalent to a two weeks rent. If you plan to collect bonds be sure to incorporate it to your written contract.

For amateur house sitters it is easier to lodge for a house sitting insurance. On the other hand, professional house sitters who have proven maturity and responsibility are convinced that bonds are unnecessary.

If you are considering house sitting you may be surprised that it can make attractive amount of money and employment opportunities. It is very advantageous, the mere fact that you can save income you would have spent on mortgage payments or rent by living in a house free of charge. Sounds like a great deal? This will allow you to save thousands of dollars while watching over and living in someone’s house while they are out of town.

At first, the pay is low, but the upside is you can save money from not having to pay a mortgage or a rent. Anyway, you can do this without giving up your day job. By finding house sitting jobs you are providing someone the help they need and as well as developing a great opportunity to generate extra earnings. Money will start to come in when you already have a reputable foundation in house sitting.

Now the only question running into your mind is how much should I charge for house sitting? Remember, it has nothing to do with how much you think you can get out of this but how much you can earn by lending your services to people. When I said that, I meant, there are specific circumstances you have to consider. Get it down on paper. List your possible expenses while performing your duties and responsibilities. Keep in mind your location may affect your gasoline consumption, or bus/train fare. What you should be hoping to do is to breakeven.

Constantly making money out of house sitting means having standard visits, clienteles regularly asking for your services and a schedule that will not overlap your other workloads. Just remember, if you are trying to profit out of it, you need to network. It essentially important that you do a fantastic job and leave the house in magnificent condition. Arranging house and pet sitting jobs often relies solely in word of mouth. If you are interested in more jobs, you better have people talking about how fabulous you are, it may cost a lot of opportunities for you.

House sitting became very popular and took the world by storm. The concept of this service is for someone who will care for the landlord or homeowners’ homes while they are away. The homeowners have someone to look after their houses, pets and gardens while the house sitters gets rent free accommodation in return for doing minor household duties and whatever they have agreed upon. Every agreement must be mutually beneficial for both parties. Here are some guidelines to arrange your agreement:

Note the sitter’s detailed information like full name and driver’s license number for verification purposes.

Do not forget to indicate homeowner’s contact numbers, email or address; to be contacted in case of emergency.

Include the house sitter’s expected time of arrival prior to the departure of the client for final instructions.

Your house sitting contract should indicate the terms and conditions under which a sitter may live in your home.

Specific and detailed instructions for the tasks you’ve prepared in which your sitter is bound to do. Indicate the instructions for lawn and garden care: equipment used, pet care: feeding time/exercise schedule/vets visits and medication dosing, pool maintenance, mail handling and forwarding.

House sitting contracts should also specify your utility billing arrangement. Take into account if the sitter is responsible for making these payments or not. For example; you have agreed upon to continue paying the bills yourself by a friend, a family member, or better yet by direct debit. Then the sitter shall reimburse their portion upon your return.

It is also important to indicate that if the house sitter is taken seriously ill or for any other reason to leave the property for a certain or extended period, or should there be any damage in the property, he/ she must contact the homeowner immediately.

As the homeowner you should prudently consider your personal requirements and expectations. It is also your responsibility to clearly explain your criteria’s to the house sitter. You may need to arrange for a bond to be held by an independent party when securing a written agreement. You can ask for your attorney’s help with this procedure. Every situation is unique, nevertheless, we included the accepted standards of a general house sitting contract/ You can remove or add points to suit your situation.

House sitting is becoming a trend these days. But what is house sitting? Just to give you a brief description house sitting is a job that allows you to stay and live with someone’s home for a period of time. This type of job is ideal for retired couples, young families, singles, writers and artists who are adventurous, fun and exciting yet trustworthy and professional. Most people desire to be a house sitter to live rent-free and be able to go to places they’ve never been before. Artists and writers choose house sitting jobs because living in another home can give them the ambience or “mood” they need to allow them to practice their profession. Some people need temporary accommodation while moving from one house to another while others just simply enjoy the change in scenery. Reasons into getting this lucrative job vary in numerous ways and there is no “stereotype” for a house sitter.

However, house sitters are expected to responsibly live in and look after the house of their contractor. It may include house cleaning, house security, taking care of pets, gardening, forwarding mails and phone messages. Sometimes it also involves unconventional jobs or whatever the homeowner and the sitter both agreed upon.
Acquiring a house sitting job depends on many factors. Things like your date of availability, duration flexibility, location of choice, location flexibility, and the house sitters profile. These aspects can affect the decision of the homeowners when choosing the suitable house sitter for their homes.

Do we receive payment for house sitting? Well, that is all up to you and the homeowner. In most cases, both parties just agree to do a straight swap, where the sitter guards the house and pets in exchange of free lodging. Although there are times when a homeowner offers an amount of money for the house sitting job. They do this because of undesirable location, too short period of stay, or there are many obligations for the sitter. You must be reminded that everything is negotiable between yourselves and should be able to work something out for the welfare of both parties.

Many people are starting to look for second jobs because of today’s economy. Having to do two jobs doesn’t mean you have to work your butt off. A second job must fit your current schedule and must be flexible but can still help you generate enough money for your needs. Well, you are in luck because this article might just be the answer to your prayer. This will help you start up a new line of career without ruining your day job.

House sitting is very ideal if you are working 9 to 5. There are working people who are often called out of town for one reason or another. Sometimes people need to go out of town for family affairs, or they need a vacation. Dependable people to house sit are needed while they are gone. But before you get too excited, it is necessary to find out if you are suited for this type of business. Being responsible of watching other people’s house and beloved pets is a serious matter; they are trusted to you to keep safe and healthy. So aside from making ends meet, you must have a good disposition with animals is one qualification in house and pet sitting. It is necessary to have working knowledge about pet health and safety.
Furthermore, before going into this line of business, you must also take into consideration if you want to house sit only during specific hours. Are there any laws and ordinances in your area specifically about house and pet sitting? Are you willing to travel?

If you feel positive enough to take on the responsibility and motivated to earn a good income then design a suitable business plan around your needs and desires. Research on pet care, gardening, and house keeping, strategize your work schedule and take advantage of affordable internet marketing and advertising. A reputable name is also important in this trade, it will help you launch your business easily and soon enough people will come up to you to look after their homes and beloved animals.

If you want to increase your market value, get more clients and build the career path you always wanted as a house sitter, there are only three concepts you ought to know. They are trustworthiness, networking and flexibility. In this article I will further discuss each of these concepts and show you how to leverage them to become successful in house sitting services.

Building a good reputation as a house sitter is only worthwhile if you are trustworthy. Otherwise, why choose this career? You may have few clients who come to you but how will they continue to seek your services if the first time they came to you were a disaster. To gain other peoples trust you should act professionally and responsibly when a homeowner contracted you for the house sitting services they wanted. Only after you have attained this should you be able to expand your network.
Expanding your network when it comes to this kind of job is actually easy when people trust you. When you are still starting up with house sitting, you start to render services to your friends and families. If they become satisfied with the services you supplied them, you will get positive feedbacks and they will compliment you to their friends and families as well. The word of mouth is your best tool in expanding your client base. From time to time people may give negative remarks but if people hear more of your good deeds and accomplishments then that is enough to suffice your good reputation.

The hardest part is how to maintain your clients and be flexible with your schedule. It will be hard especially when you have different clients with overlapping period of stay in. It is desirable to schedule your projects within your availability. Do not try to commit your services when you know you can’t deliver it properly.

Trustworthiness will put you on a path toward your goal. Expanding your network will speed up the success of your career but flexibility will allow you to keep your business going. Make these principles as a regular part of your job and enjoy a more fulfilling career.