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Hints & Suggestions
Housesitting tips
These "Grey Nomads" enjoy their trip, secure
in the knowledge that their
house is being looked after by a mature, responsible
SeniorSitters
Housesitter (Click on picture for larger image)
Here we bring you some hints and suggestions for making housesitting a
successful, safe and satisfying experience for Homeowner and Housesitter alike.
Like all enjoyable activities,
housesitting has a few traps for the unwary or inexperienced. If you were in the
Scouts or Guides, you learned the "Be Prepared" motto. By following these tips
you can ensure that your housesitting experience is a positive one, whether you
are a Homeowner or Housesitter.
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"We were not sure we could get someone local to care for
our property and animals without a lot of arm-twisting, which is not our
style, so we decided to advertise for a housesitter.
"Very soon we had several responses. The house sitting
required a small amount of using a tractor with a front end loader to put
out hay for our steers, but several applicants seemed suitable.
"We were able to visit one at his then house-sitting job
and were confident he would be ideal.
"He arrived on time, with all his independent equipment and
after a quick tour of the farm he was left with our written guide. We were
happy to be able to leave with no housesitting concerns.
"Contact was maintained via e-mail and upon arrival home,
we were thrilled to find the house and property well maintained and in
excellent condition,
"We now hope that subject to his availability that our
sitter will be willing to repeat the house sit for us when next we go for
a trip."
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M & R, Gippsland, Vic. |
Listing
When you become a
SeniorSitters
Homeowner member your housesitting Opportunity is posted for all to see on the
website you have chosen to use. However, only those who have bought entry rights
to the website can contact you.
To maximise the impact of your
listing, give a clear description of your home and of what is expected of your
Housesitter. If you have a photograph of an attractive feature of the house we
will place that on the website – and yours may even be highlighted as the
Opportunity of the Week. For security reasons, we suggest you don’t use any
pictures that are going to identify the house or its address.
Responding
Housesitters should include relevant
and positive information. List your housesitting experience, affinity with
animals (if applicable), home ownership and maintenance experience, and so on.
In other words, whatever will make an owner confident that you are mature and
responsible and will care for the property entrusted to you. If you have
references available, say so. But make sure you have the prior approval of those
whose names you give as referees.
When you see an Opportunity that
suits you, don’t waste any time. Have a standard introduction prepared – with
the sort of information outlined above. And if the owner has specific
requirements, such as pet care for example, provide additional information on
your experience in this area.
Owner’s Reply
One of the most disheartening and
frustrating experiences for Housesitters is to send off a carefully prepared
response to an Opportunity and never receive any reply...
More
Who Pays for What?
While every situation is different, and decisions
on such matters are for negotiation between owner and sitter, we feel that the
following are reasonable, and fair to both parties...
More
Security
Security is one of the commonest reasons for
owners to seek sitters, instead of leaving their properties empty when absent.
But there are ways in which security can be enhanced for the benefit of owners
and sitters alike...
More
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