Do I Need A House Sitter?

Hiring a house sitter will depend on how long you intend being away. If this will only be for a couple of days, asking a family member or friend to check up on your house a few times during your trip should suffice.

However for longer trips, you may want to think about hiring a house sitter.

Types Of House Sitting

When choosing a house sitter, decide whether or not you are willing to pay for the service. This is the difference between the types of house sitters available to you. Free house sitters will watch over your home without charge but you don't always know who you are getting, while house sitters available for hire are a different ball game. Here you have the option to decide if you want a couple, non-smokers or pet lovers to look after your house. House sitters for hire also normally come with contactable references.

How To Hire A Housesitter

There are a variety of channels available to you to help you find a house sitter. Here are two of the most popular:

Homesitters is an experienced and professional service that charges relatively low rates and takes pride in caring for your home. All staff are also trained in pet care. Visit their website for more information.

MindMyHouse is a website that connects homeowners with freelance housesitters. The service costs very little, as there is only a small annual fee. Once you've placed an advert on the site, a housesitter close to you will contact you and the negotiation process can begin. MindMyHouse supplies legal forms to make the process easier. Visit them here.

Procedure

When you have decided to hire a house sitter, go through the following process for the best results:

• Interview the house sitter beforehand
• Read through available letters of references and recommendations
• Contact the references provided
• Verify the house sitter's identification
• Check for a criminal record
• Do a credit check

These tips will make it easier for you to hire a stranger if you plan to pay for house sitting.

Ground Rules

You should always give your house sitters basic ground rules before you leave. This covers any extra electrical costs, breakage and air-conditioning usage so you are not met with unexpected situations when you return from a relaxing holiday. This also shows the house sitter/s where they stand with you and what you expect from them.

Preparation

Once you have hired or asked a house sitter to take care of your house, ensure that you do the following in preparation for their stay:

• Jot down important emergency numbers and contacts
• Introduce the house sitter to important neighbours in your area
• Put your keys and flashlights in easy-to-find locations in your home, in case of power outages
• It might be a good idea to ask your house sitter to arrive 24-hours before you leave
• Leave television and Internet instructions
• Provide the alarm code and go through the activating and deactivating process with your house sitter
• Establish an agreed-on location for the house keys in case your house sitter leaves before you return

Whether or not you should hire a house sitter will depend very much on your individual needs. It also depends on whether you are willing to do the necessary research and preparation to ensure that everything runs smoothly.