What is House Sitting and Pet Sitting?
Understanding What Housesitting Websites Do For the Homeowner
Feb 24, 2009
House sitting appeals to many as the solution to expensive holiday accommodation. Some people – both travellers and home owners – are a little nervous about the idea or don’t fully understand how the system works, so hopefully, this overview will help.
What is House Sitting
For many decades, family, friends or next-door-neighbours have been relied on to look after a home, garden or pets in the owner’s absence. This might simply mean “popping in” every day or so, but sometimes the sitter would move in for a period.
Such was the need that house sitting services emerged and charge fees for this as a professional service. Today, however, with the advent of the Internet, home owners are foolish to pay for services that can be rendered free. There are thousands of people around the world keen to visit the home owner’s area and stay rent-free while they maintain the home, garden and provide love and care for the family pets.
It is possible for the avid traveller to tour his or her own country extensively, staying in other people’s vacant homes. Similarly, with some careful planning, it is possible to tour Europe, Australia, Great Britain – anywhere, in fact, that people take holidays and sabbaticals and have pets they don’t want to place in catteries and kennels.
Free accommodation for periods of one week to one year is available in all manner of exotic places in exchange for caring for pets and gardens and providing security for the home. There are now several reliable housesitting sites that connect owners and would-be sitters.
How Does a House Sitting Website Work?
Would-be sitters pay a yearly fee to have their details listed on a dedicated house sitting site and home owners can list their requirements for free. The site acts like a dating agency, proving an anonymous interface and message centre until the home owner has selected the person to whom they want to extend the offer.
This means that the precise address details and contact information are kept private, even from the bulk of people who apply. The lucky (and unlucky) applicants receive an email through the site and the two parties can take the matter from there.
What Housesitting Safeguards Are Available?
House sitting websites offer no guarantees or securities. They do not check the bona fides of the sitters who advertise on their sites and they do not check that the home owners are being honest about their situation. Indeed, both parties indemnify the website owners and accept responsibility themselves. This is not as risky as it sounds.
Security Measures the Homeowner Should Take
Common sense prevails. No one should engage with strangers without good references, sighting police checks, lengthy communication by email and phone, and personal meetings where possible.
What is to stop the sitter throwing a wild party, or smashing an expensive vase or piece of antique furniture … or throttling the cat? Nothing. However, some owners, particularly those who are offering a 6 -12 month housesit, ask for a sizeable bond much like a rental bond, which is held by a third party.
It’s possible to fool some of the people some of the time, as the saying goes, but the crook who intends to back a moving van up to the front door will not persist with a lengthy exchange of emails, photos, family details, etc.
Security Measures the Would-Be Sitter Should Take
Yes, sitters are just as much at risk as home owners. Potential sitters should not be so over the moon about “winning” a 4-week sit in a little French village or London apartment that they throw caution to the wind.
The sitter who is accepted should never hand over a large bond before even meeting the owner face to face. If this is demanded, the sitter should immediately be suspicious. It’s not the done thing.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Are the 4 dogs that require daily walking, by any chance, Great Danes? Do the six cats all sleep on your bed? Is the sitter required to push pills down the cat’s throat? Does the “friendly, loveable” Boxer turn into a snarling bundle of teeth on its owner’s departure? For a detailed account of the pros and cons of house sitting, see this Suite101 article.
Check Out Some House Sitting Sites
Tried and tested sites include Housecarers.com which charges $55 AUD yearly membership; and Houseminders.com, which charges $20 US per year.
There are many other sites, and some are not so good. How to tell? As a sitter, scan the sitters wanted ads on the site. Don't pay to join a site that offers very few sits. Homeowners, check the quantity and quality of sitter ads and the amount of details supplied by the potential sitters.
Most owners and sitters who have experienced house sitting, applaud and trust the process. It costs little to try.
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