what do you need to be a house sitter

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House sitters are responsible for caring for a house while the homeowner is away for an extended flow of fourth dimension. Information technology'southward a nifty opportunity to stay in a new place rent-gratuitous (although you lot may have to pay utilities). To get a business firm sitter, beginning write a house sitting resume which yous can use online or in person to demonstrate your feel and qualifications. Decide when and where you're willing to house sit, then inquire around or annunciate in newspapers and online to detect the right house sitting opportunity.

1. ane

   Showtime your resume with a strong headline. The headline should be unique and attention-grabbing (but professional) and should highlight what y'all experience are your strongest assets. For example, a skilful headline would read something like, "Compulsively clean pet lover seeking an opportunity to business firm sit in Santa Barbara."^[1]

2. 2

   Explain why you want to be a firm sitter. Briefly describe what attracts you to the idea of house sitting as well as what qualities you have that brand you think y'all would be a practiced fit for the job.^[two]

   • Your examples might exist that you are trying to salvage up for college, that you are looking for opportunities to travel, or even something specific such as "I would like a place to stay while I'yard visiting my grandmother in Charlotte, NC this fall."

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3. iii

   Give details almost past experiences you've had. Even if you've never been a firm sitter, chances are you've been in situations that required the skills of a sitter. For example, if y'all babysat for the neighborhood children as a teenager, walked dogs for extra cash, or cared for a sick grandmother in her dwelling house, you have the feel to list in your profile.^[3]

4. 4

   Practise a background screen. A background screen (or groundwork check) is a detailed look into your history, and it may cover whatsoever criminal activity, employment history, credit history, education, and more. Being able to provide a homeowner with a detailed, professional background check tin can help give them peace of heed that you lot are who you say yous are.^[four]

5. v

   Gather references. If you lot accept past house sitting feel, provide references from the previous homeowners. If yous're just getting started, consider asking your landlord, previous employers, teachers, family friends or laudable figures in your life, such every bit a police officer, judge or doctor ^[5] to write a letter vouching for your character, trustworthiness, and responsibleness.

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1. 1

   Select your availability. Before you offset searching for a location to house sit, you should know when you'll exist bachelor. Are you lot more interested in a long-term business firm sitting opportunity, or practise you merely desire to business firm sit for a long weekend over the holidays?

   • You'll have ameliorate luck finding a business firm sitting opportunity if you have open availability during times when travel is highest. For example, long-distance trips increment 23% during Christmas and New Twelvemonth'due south and 54% the week of Thanksgiving.

2. 2

   Choose where yous want to house sit. Exercise you only want to travel to big cities, or is a rural escape more your speed? Would y'all adopt to house sit in your own neighborhood or are you more interested in a trip abroad? Deciding early where yous're willing to stay will assist you narrow down your options as y'all search.^[half-dozen]

3. 3

   Decide whether you lot're willing to pet sit. Houses with pets make upwardly virtually lxxx% of business firm sitting arrangements, so if you're non open to pet sitting, you may discover express opportunities.

   • Caring for a pet comes with a lot of extra responsibilities, so be sure yous're upward to the claiming. In add-on to providing the animal with nutrient and water and cleaning up after them, you might also be asked to provide special intendance, similar administering any medications the animal may demand.

4. four

   Be honest nigh what services you can provide. ^[vii] If you're bad at keeping a routine, you might not want to watch a pet which requires a rigid schedule, and if you don't have proficient mobility, y'all wouldn't want to house sit in a dwelling house with several flights of stairs.

   • Other considerations might include whether or not you're willing to do landscaping or whether you feel comfortable staying in a location where y'all don't speak the local linguistic communication.

5. 5

   Be prepared to pay a security deposit. Not all homeowners require a security deposit, simply many do. This is a deposit that you give to the homeowner that helps protect them from whatsoever damage caused while a stranger is watching their dwelling. Information technology should be refunded to you lot subsequently the duration of your stay. A deposit shows that you are responsible and serious well-nigh your duties.

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1. 1

   Ask family and friends about house sitting opportunities. If y'all're just getting started, inquire your family, friends, and neighbors if they know anyone who needs a house sitter. This tin can exist a skillful style to become some feel without having to travel far from home.

2. 2

   Take out a classified ad in a local newspaper where y'all want to house sit. You lot might not be able to fit your whole resume in a newspaper's classified ad department, but you can post a shortened version in a paper based out of the area where yous desire to house sit.

   • In improver to traditional newspapers, check to see if the surface area has any contained weekly papers, like the Memphis Flyer or the N Bay Bohemian in Sonoma, CA.^[8]

3. 3

   Post your profile on free classifieds websites. Sites like Craigslist are costless to post on or browse, making them a popular pick for people who are searching for house sitters.

   • Since Craigslist and other similar sites are anonymous, be sure to do your due diligence. If someone responds to your ad with an offer that seems too adept to be true or you lot get a bad feeling about it, movement on to another opportunity.

4. 4

5. five

   Purchase a list of "help wanted" advertisements. The aforementioned companies that manage business firm sitting directories oftentimes also sell lists of homeowner advertisements seeking the services of a sitter. I benefit of buying a list of homeowner advertisements is that yous'll be part of a smaller number of applicants for these opportunities.

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1. 1

   Follow up with whatever potential matches. When you're contacted by a homeowner who matches your criteria, follow up with a friendly e-mail or telephone call to find out more nearly what they're looking for.

   • It's usually a skillful idea to outset with a short conversation and schedule a longer interview for later on so both parties will have a chance to prepare any questions they may accept.

2. ii

   Ask plenty of questions when being interviewed past the homeowner. You don't want any surprises when you show up for the starting time day of your firm sitting job.

   • Write down your list of questions beforehand and then you can be sure you are on the same page equally the homeowners.
   • Some questions you might ask would include: "Exercise your pets require any special care?", "Is there anything I should know most your home'southward security system?", "What chores volition I need to perform?", "Will I be expected to pay for utilities?", and "How far away are the nearest grocery store, pharmacy, etc?"

3. iii

   Ask for pictures of the habitation. This volition help you know exactly what yous're in for. Yous don't want to find out at the last minute that the ceiling is caving in or that bathroom sink doesn't have faucets. Check to see if the pictures look current, as older pictures might non reflect the electric current land of the domicile.

4. four

   Research the neighborhood. Search online or reach out to people who alive in the surface area to find out what you can nigh the neighborhood. Avoid firm sitting in areas with loftier crime or which are known for drug activity.

   • Utilize Google Globe to search for the address of the home where you'll exist staying, and so click around the neighborhood to see what it looks like. This can requite you valuable information the homeowner doesn't mention, such every bit whether or not at that place might be noisy construction going on across the street.

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Add New Question

• Question

  I'g trying to constitute a basic weekly amount to accuse for housesitting in Northern California. Where do I start looking?

  

  Kalea Epitime

  Customs Answer

  If house-sitting is required for just a few hours during the 24-hour interval, a reasonable rate, as of 2014, is betwixt $25 and $30 per day. Overnight rates, however, tin reach upwards of $fifty per solar day.

• Question

  We are new at this and have ourselves never used a firm sitter. Should nosotros wait to be paid by the owners?

  

  Normally, house-sitters are paid, but information technology is worked out betwixt the parties. Sometimes the housesitters are just paid in food or beer while staying at the house.

• Question

  What should I accuse for pet sitting in the Los Angeles area?

  

  It's upward to you, and information technology depends on what animal y'all are pet sitting. If you want to know the going rates, call some local pet sitters to find out what they are charging.

• Question

  Does every house sitting job crave paying the utility bills while the owners are away over an extended period of time?

  

  No, it doesn't. In a house sitting job, your merely responsibleness is to accept care of the house and whatsoever chores. However, in some cases, the homeowners may ask you to take intendance of paying the bills (with their money, of grade) while they're away.

• Question

  Can a 13 year onetime exist a house sitter?

  

  You can be, but it would be helpful if you did it with an older sibling or a parent. It also depends on who y'all are business firm sitting for, and if they are comfy with you lot being thirteen years sometime.

• Question

  Do house sitters have to be bonded?

  

  No.

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• Consider creating your ain static webpage if yous want to look as professional person as possible. Include your link on all of your advertisements.

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• Avoid relinquishing your own home in order to business firm sit unless you are absolutely positive that you lot will want to sit for a long time, and that you don't mind the prospect of being without a home in between house sitting gigs.

• Be careful not to waste matter your coin advert on ineffective websites. When searching the Net for quality firm sitter directory sites, pay attention to the quality of the website itself, also as its search engine ranking.

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About This Article

Article Summary X

To get a house sitter, commencement by preparing a resume that highlights your relevant experience, including babysitting, dog walking, or caring for family members. If y'all're but starting out house sitting, go a few letters of reference from previous employers, teachers, or family unit friends. Then, to advertise your services, contact family and friends to run into if they know anyone who needs a house sitter. In addition to discussion of mouth, become a heave by taking out a classified advertizement in the newspaper, browsing Craigslist for opportunities, and list yourself on a house sitting website. To acquire some skillful questions to ask homeowners you lot're considering house sitting for, keep reading!

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