As part of our travelling we planned to be doing some house sitting and it to date for us is been great and we have meet some great people along the way and has given us much joy.
Because the locals give you great ideas on what to visit while in their area which is what we like as we stay away from over priced places and look for the places most would not see.
I have put together some help on House sitting , which may help those starting out even thinking about doing it, now you don't need a caravan to become a house sitter as some want you to live in their house.
You can meet great people and save a lot of money in not having to pay Park Fees
Because the locals give you great ideas on what to visit while in their area which is what we like as we stay away from over priced places and look for the places most would not see.
I have put together some help on House sitting , which may help those starting out even thinking about doing it, now you don't need a caravan to become a house sitter as some want you to live in their house.
You can meet great people and save a lot of money in not having to pay Park Fees
So you want to be a house sitter for you to save money while visiting an area or as part of your travelling about in your van.
Best to start by joining a face book page and read how others are first getting the sits or the things that can go wrong and weight up if you are still ready to do house sitting.
Once you decide it what you wish to try, start a list of things you can offer in this area, such as dog sitting, cats, and any animals you feel happy to deal with or not and you need to have an understanding of them, no good if you don’t.
What other duties are you happy with such as mowing gardening and watering, these are the main requirement most will ask for. Outside those you may need to consider asking for a payment to carry out or just don’t do the sit, there are plenty of house sits out there don’t feel, you are locked in once you make contact that is why Emails are best in the beginning, there is no personal contact and much easier to say No for some.
Now you need to decide what and were you will do house sitting, we have a clear plan and don’t go outside our list, most important one for us is our van we must be able to get onto house sitters land, not the driveway or in the street, if must be in a safe place and easy to get in and out yard.
We don’t live in house, our van is our home and that’s where we live, we don’t live in or house sit house if other family members are staying in house, why are we here then?
Best to start by joining a face book page and read how others are first getting the sits or the things that can go wrong and weight up if you are still ready to do house sitting.
Once you decide it what you wish to try, start a list of things you can offer in this area, such as dog sitting, cats, and any animals you feel happy to deal with or not and you need to have an understanding of them, no good if you don’t.
What other duties are you happy with such as mowing gardening and watering, these are the main requirement most will ask for. Outside those you may need to consider asking for a payment to carry out or just don’t do the sit, there are plenty of house sits out there don’t feel, you are locked in once you make contact that is why Emails are best in the beginning, there is no personal contact and much easier to say No for some.
Now you need to decide what and were you will do house sitting, we have a clear plan and don’t go outside our list, most important one for us is our van we must be able to get onto house sitters land, not the driveway or in the street, if must be in a safe place and easy to get in and out yard.
We don’t live in house, our van is our home and that’s where we live, we don’t live in or house sit house if other family members are staying in house, why are we here then?
Always take photos when we get there with date and time in photos, so no issues that may come up about anything can be covered, write notes about things like lawn mower is not working, lot of plants are dead, pool is green etc.
Make sure enough fuel for mower and chemicals for pool and food for animals, it’s not your job to buy such things, just because they are away does not mean they don’t pay, yes they do!
Make sure you understand their requirements, get them to write it down along with phone numbers of people close by if you need help etc. and of course their numbers, know your limits in that you can’t drive their car or go into certain areas of the house, change the diet of the animals because you believe something not your choice, just follow the way they want as written.
If you are getting paid for some jobs, make the amount clear and in writing and make sure you get paid and not back away till you do and don’t accept, we took off some to cover your power and water used or Wi-Fi you used that should have been sorted long before this.
Make sure enough fuel for mower and chemicals for pool and food for animals, it’s not your job to buy such things, just because they are away does not mean they don’t pay, yes they do!
Make sure you understand their requirements, get them to write it down along with phone numbers of people close by if you need help etc. and of course their numbers, know your limits in that you can’t drive their car or go into certain areas of the house, change the diet of the animals because you believe something not your choice, just follow the way they want as written.
If you are getting paid for some jobs, make the amount clear and in writing and make sure you get paid and not back away till you do and don’t accept, we took off some to cover your power and water used or Wi-Fi you used that should have been sorted long before this.
Taking care of someone else’s home and pets may seem like a cake walk, but in reality, good house sitters need to be committed. A love for animals is not enough to do the job properly. Make sure you treat it with the utmost professionalism, love, and care.
They have trusted you to do the right thing and you as a House sitter if you want to contine doing this need them to be happy with what you do for future House sits, let me tell you people talk and we have had people weeks later ring and say Mr x was most happy with your sit can you come and do our place next month..... Its how it all starts so do the right thing and you will never have to go into a van park or free camp again.
They have trusted you to do the right thing and you as a House sitter if you want to contine doing this need them to be happy with what you do for future House sits, let me tell you people talk and we have had people weeks later ring and say Mr x was most happy with your sit can you come and do our place next month..... Its how it all starts so do the right thing and you will never have to go into a van park or free camp again.
1. Know the house rules. Living in or staying in someone else's house or yard means that you need to ask the house rules from the home owner. For example, should you be using the air-con or not?, Is the dog allowed on the couch? etc.
2. WI-FI password to stay connected. If the owner gives you the Wi-Fi password, so that you can stay connected and send them updates about their pet. Do not use this as an opportunity to download files!
3. Emergency contact. Keep emergency contacts saved on your phone or stuck on the fridge. You should always ask for the vet's number and a friends mobile number.
4. Don't be a stranger to the neighbours. Smile and say hi :), they are your best help if you are unsure with plants and animals that may not do as requested
5. Daily Check list. Have a to-do list everyday so that you don't forget to water the plants, feed the dog, feed the fish
6. Follow Pet Guidelines to the Letter – One of the reasons why many people enter into a housesitting arrangement in the first place is to ensure that not only is their property cared for during a long absence, but also their pets. Traveling with the four-legged members of the family isn’t always feasible, which means that you could be responsible for the care of a pet or two. Make sure that you don’t deviate from pet-care guidelines in the least, because there’s almost certainly a reason why each and every one of those rules exists in the first place
7. Keep All of the Mail – You may make a habit of tossing the offers that you consider junk mail, but the people who live in the home you’re watching might hold on to them. No matter how worthless you think a particular piece of mail is, don’t throw it away. Keep all of the mail that comes to the residence while you’re there, just so you don’t accidentally discard something that’s important to your client.
8. Buy Your Own Groceries – Unless you’re given express permission to eat or drink anything you find in the house, make a point of providing your own groceries. No one wants to come home to find that their house sitter drank the best bottles of wine, ate the delicacies they were saving and emptied the cabinets.
9. Maintain an Open Line of Communication – While a traveller doesn’t want to field a dozen emails every day, you’ll still want to make sure that you’re keeping them apprised of things around the house. You’ll need to know where to forward utility bills, how to handle unforeseen events and how to contact the homeowner if it becomes necessary to do so. The owner of the home you’re watching will also want to know that their property is safe, even if you just send them the all-clear once a week. will send a photo of the dog/Cat or other animals so they can see their pets while away
10. Clean Up After Yourself – It should go without saying, but it’s important that you make sure not to leave a mess behind. The last thing a homeowner wants is to come back from a long journey, only to find that their house looks as if it were ransacked. Clean up your own messes, even if you’re housesitting for free.
11. Know the Guest Policy – Some homeowners will be relaxed about the idea of you entertaining in their home, while others will have a strict no-guest policy. Make sure you know where you stand when it comes to guests before the homeowners leave for their trip in order to avoid potential disputes later.
12. Leave Things As You Found Them – Now if you stay in or not a few rules about the house, You may prefer your towels to be stocked a certain way or the books on a shelf to be organized alphabetically, but that doesn’t mean that the owner of the dwelling you’re staying in shares those preferences. When the person you’re housesitting for returns to their home, they should find it in the same shape in which they left it. That means that you don’t move things around, rearrange furniture or clear out drawers while you’re staying there.
13. Plants Are Part of the Deal – If you have a decidedly brown thumb, it’s wise to make sure that the house in which you’ll be staying doesn’t boast a large selection of treasured houseplants. When you sign on as a house sitter, you’re agreeing to the upkeep and maintenance of everything on the property. That means caring for any plants on the premises, too. and mostly and depends on length of stay will mow the yard and do ask if they cut high or low as some people due to weather or water have a length which works for their grass
13. Surprise the owner with a welcome gift. Flowers, cookies or a card. Make sure you leave something for the owner to make it memorable booking! We have made scones in the house so it smells nice and they have afternoon tea and most times ask you to get the low down on how everything went etc.
Or as we do once we know that time and date they return, on that morning I go to shops and get milk, fresh bread and some salad things and a hot chicken so lunch or dinner is there for them. And do ask fro a letter or Email in their own time but how we went so you can build a reference for others to see how you went
14. Leave within a short time. It really depends on them and yourself, but are always ready to go and only stay the night they get back or we have found some want you to stay and enjoy their company, but one or two days is our limit. We have done long sits when you have seen all and its time to go ...........
15. The parking Spot. Maybe this should be first, but it here, one the first things I ask if they can fit our 14mt of van and car in their yard, listen to answer if they sound not sure ask for photos of where the van is going and a address so Google maps can show you the place, still not sure then plan to arrive a day or before and drop by and check it out say Hi and get a feel for your stay whether a week or 2 months be sure you are happy first up that your home is going to be safe
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So remember photos of house inside and out of all areas you will be using, including bathrooms and laundry's plus the gardens, grass and anything you believe needs a photo including that chook pen and chooks it gives you a good way to check how many of those egg layers there are. Once you have photos put them in a folder and put them if you have a cloud or spare hard drive with date where and whom on it, and any paper work etc. you get copies of emails etc. You may never look at them again but in this day and age they may claim something or call you about a further stay a year or so later and you have the file with the details so you can check over and decide if you can or not. Don't ever Face book inside of someone else's house, outside shots are fine if they don't show where the house is.
So I hope you can get some understanding about house sitting and I will add or change this page over time and the big one I almost forgot to say is don't chase house sits over the country side in that if you are in Melbourne don't accept house sits in cairns in a short time line by that I mean do house sits to your travelling plans not others holidays.
We are travelling south now with house sits along our path and have house sits in Tasmania for next year when we get there, so plan your travels and time to spend in a area and find a house sit that suits you, remember they may change their minds for many reasons and you just drove 900km and now you are out of pocket for fuel etc. We have a sort of a plan and look for places weeks or months before we get somewhere and are now booked till middle of 2018 and to date have saved some 10,590 dollars for not using caravan parks or free camping which is a bore and ok for over night but you just cant drop van off and go away for the day, your home may not be there when you return...
And the things you will need to start your house sitting can be as little as the few things listed below
I am about if you wish for some help or advice just Email me,
We are travelling south now with house sits along our path and have house sits in Tasmania for next year when we get there, so plan your travels and time to spend in a area and find a house sit that suits you, remember they may change their minds for many reasons and you just drove 900km and now you are out of pocket for fuel etc. We have a sort of a plan and look for places weeks or months before we get somewhere and are now booked till middle of 2018 and to date have saved some 10,590 dollars for not using caravan parks or free camping which is a bore and ok for over night but you just cant drop van off and go away for the day, your home may not be there when you return...
And the things you will need to start your house sitting can be as little as the few things listed below
I am about if you wish for some help or advice just Email me,
Things You May Need.
- A dual water filter for van everywhere you go water is different and some place only have tank or bore be prepared
- Good length of drinking type water hose not always close to taps
- Good length of power leads as per above.
- Torch for the toilet visit to house etc. don’t want to get bitten on the bum, do we.
- A good Amphian so you can connect power from hose to van (don't ever use a modified lead or such, you risk a fire and your insurance will not pay. And it is illegal full stop.)
- Will be more, will add as I remember
