Want to be a stellar house sitter?

You know that age old saying – make yourself at home? Well as a house sitter, or a house guest in general, you should definitely do that, but the best version of you.

As a house sitter (HS), you want to feel comfortable and be yourself in the space you’ve been entrusted to mind, you also want to make sure you leave the very best impression and are respecting the homeowner’s (HO) sanctuary. I like to go by the theory an unannounced family member or friend may pop by at any time, and aim to keep the home to a standard that they’d expect if the HO be there. Yes, this can and does happen, that’s another chapter though..

“Help yourself to anything” does not mean their liquor collection or any cupboard in the house (unless specifically shown or mentioned, such as storage space for clothes). Generally, I would say it means to perishables and panty staples. I had a housesit interview who told me of a previous sitter that helped herself to a bottle of wine they were saving for a special occasion, the sitter said they couldn’t find it at the liquor store to replace. Very poor form and obviously, disappointed HO's.

Bathroom cupboards are personal. Don’t get in them. If you’d like some bathroom storage space, let the HO know. Personally, I don’t ask unless it's a sit over 3 weeks, but I am very used to suitcase living.

Send regular updates and engage with your hosts. Let them get to know you so they feel more familiar and confident with the person they are leaving their worldly possessions with. This can be more difficult for introverts but try and give them an idea of the type of person you are and your routine or past-times. The more updates the better, they may not respond due to their itinerary or not being huge technology consumers but photos or a “hi, everything is well” will be appreciated.

Do a ‘bond clean’ before the HO arrives home. If you are time poor, you might need to start a few days before hand. I like to make sure there is fresh linen (or the linen used is on the line at least), dusting is done, floors clean, bathroom you used is scrubbed and pets picked up after. In summer or for extended sits, you’ll get extra points for doing the lawn as well!

Replace anything you finish, such as salt, pepper, oil, butter etc etc. Or bring your own. This also goes for cleaning products on extended sits. You don’t want a HO coming home to empty cupboards.

Really impress your hosts by having a little welcome home something for them. Having fresh bread and milk is great but can be tricky with modern allergies. If you know them well enough, you might know what type of dishes they enjoy. A home cooked meal after a long-haul flight or big drive is like a hug from grandma! Fresh fruit is always a nice and affordable option also.

Finally, enjoy your new scenery and home until the HO's get back and you're off on your next adventure!

#houstsitting #housesitter