What You Need To Know About House Sitting

What is house sitting? It is the practice where the homeowner entrusts his/ her home to another person (known as the home sitter) for some time depending on the contractual agreement. You can get trusted house sitters Australia for a more extended period or a shorter one depending on what you need them to do; which further begs the question, why hire a home sitter?

Reasons Why You Need A Home Sitter

Yes, it is possible to get family and friends who are willing to take care of your home when you are not around, but, it is not always the case. Some of them probably have school or work to attend, making it hard for them to commit to taking care of your home adequately. As such, the best option is always getting a home sitter for the following reasons;

1. Home Security

It would be quite unfortunate getting back to your house after a long trip only to find that all your valuables have been stolen. An empty house is susceptible to break-ins as the burglars find it easy breaking into such without necessarily being caught. Signs that show that no one is around include uncut grass, a full mailbox, and lights that are off at all times. But, having a house sitter means that your home will be occupied, making it a hard target for burglars. Furthermore, it also helps with insurance. Most home insurance companies cover a home for a specific period of inoccupancy, meaning that if the time subsides and thieves break in when the home is still unattended, you will have to incur the costs.

2. Property Upkeep

When you are away for vacation or work, by the time you get back, you need to do a lot of cleaning. Dust will have accumulated all over, forcing you to do a thorough cleaning before settling in. However, with a house sitter on standby, all that is taken care of from dusting the furniture, to cleaning the floors and also ensuring that the compound is in good shape.

3. Helps With The Pets

Pets often feel lonely when their owners leave them at home alone and even worse when you have to leave them in kennels. As such, getting a house sitter could just be the best option as they will be there to feed the pets, bath them, play with them and of course take them to the vet when need be.

4. Gives You Some Peace of Mind

Leaving your home unattended could be a cause of worry, especially if you will be away for a long time. Having a house sitter keeps you calm during your stay as you can always call to find out how everything is going on.

Qualities To Look For In A House Sitter

Finding a great and reliable home sitter can be such an overwhelming task, especially when you have a limited period before deciding on the best one. Who are they? Where do they come from? What are their intentions? These are some of the questions that most likely run through your mind when looking for trusted house sitters Australia. If that is you, then you are in the right place!

Below are some of the qualities you should consider before choosing a house sitter;

1. Excellent Communication Skills

Whether you are in the house or out of the house, you need to find a home sitter who has excellent communication skills. Sometimes, the home sitter would be the first one to know whether the house needs more shopping or even if the pet food is finished. You do not want to wake up in the morning in a hurry only to find out that your pet has nothing to feed on. Also, the house sitter you hire should be free to tell you when they want a day off for you to plan yourself well. You do not want to hire a house sitter who sneaks out when you are not around.

Remember, you will always want to know what is going on in your home, therefore find a person who is a great listener and will be ready to share with you any relevant information that might need your attention.

2. Respectful

Respect is one of the main traits you should be looking for in a house sitter. During the first interview, you can tell if they are polite or not. Looking at simple things like how they respond to your questions as well as their non-verbal communication, tell you a lot about the kind of person they are. Remember, you will often be interacting with them from time and again, meaning that respect needs to be upheld in order to work harmoniously. You want to get a person who respects your culture, your privacy, and your family members.

3. Experience

House sitting entails various responsibilities, some of which need more experience. You do not want to work with an amateur in this field especially if you urgently need a home sitter. Remember, you will be entrusting them with your home, your pets as well as your young ones when you will be away. To avoid frustrations, it is best to find one who has enough experience. It is your sole responsibility as the homeowner to find out where the person has worked before and the quality of work they delivered as well.

4. Honesty and Integrity

Can you imagine finding your dressing mirror broken and the house sitter tells you nothing about it? For a fact, you can get mad to the point of sending them away immediately, and that is why you need to find yourself a house sitter who is honest and hides nothing from you. The house sitter you choose should always give you a heads up when it comes to matters to do with your home. Also, you could dig deeper into finding if the house sitter has any criminal records, if not, then feel free to work them. On the other hand, if you find out they do, you could ask them to see if they will own up or not. A person who will try and deny tells you one thing; they are not the right one for you!

5. Clean and Organized

A clean home is not only attractive but also prevents you and your family members from getting sick. You want to hire a house sitter who maintains cleanliness in your home at all times. They should also be good time managers in that they can plan themselves on when to do a particular task to ensure that everything is in check before you get back home.