Have you found the perfect deal for the holidays? A place to run away and rest up after a hard year? Where the flight, hotel, food, spa, and everything you dreamt of was taken care of… except your own home? Finding someone to house and pet sit tends to be one of the most challenging things to do. However, knowing ‘where’ and ‘what’ to look for could be the answer you need! Run away for the holidays without worrying about the things that you care about dearly — your pets and home.
Holidays perhaps are the most common reason for leaving your home alone. From a single weekend to two weeks on the road (or more), you may find yourself needing someone to take care of your pet or house. Nowadays, you may even need to leave town for weeks because of work or business matters.
The tension is that not everyone has that excellent relative that they count on to give them a hand and eat from your pantry while they take care of your house. So what do you do? Hiring a random person might not be a bad idea after all, if you know where to look.
It isn’t an easy decision, but know that you aren’t alone in this! Check out the following tips that you should consider in your search of finding the best person to entrust your home with so you can run away for the holidays.
House-Sitters profiles
Perhaps one of the most important things to look for when searching for a house sitting or pet sitting person is trustworthiness. Who wouldn’t want a trustworthy person? You’re talking about leaving all the things you have worked for, your beloved pets and most likely a lot of valuable things you own.
Even if it takes time to trust someone, find the type of house sitter candidates that already have a created profile. At the same time, previous clients should have added comments in their profiles. This way, you’ll be able to see all of your options, rate their work and compare it with all the potential house sitters you like.
Comfortable or not, this is one of the essential elements you need to consider in your search. If you don’t trust your house sitter, how will you be able to rest up on your holidays? Having said this, different agencies have done the job of creating and collecting the profiles of people you might like for you.
Where to look
House-pet sitting agencies can be very helpful in your search for this service. Most of these agencies have created a list of people that have done this type of work before. Consequently, they should have information about them and their performance. Go online and check it out. You’ll be surprised at how many websites and agencies you find.
Another way to find people to house sit or pet sit for you is by word of mouth. It never gets old! Surely you have someone that knows someone that has done that job, and they received great feedback. Ask around. Who do you know that might have hired someone and can be recommended?
Certainly, one critical thing to do before hiring someone is to contact and interview them first! Beyond their profiles, feedback and trustworthiness, having a meeting with them and asking the right questions can give you better clarity in whom to hire.
Experience and love
Feedback is important. When you interview this person or when you’re reading their profile, you will have a better idea if they are the best person for the job. This person will take care of your home or beloved pets. Perhaps they don’t need to have a lot of experience in this job, but what you should be sure of is that this person is loyal and loving.
Cheesy or not, if the person you hire has these two qualities you can be sure that your home and animals are well-taken care. Maybe house sitting is an easy job, but not everyone can take care of an animal with the love and care that you would like them to have.
What to expect
Last but not least, have an idea of what to expect from them. Is cleaning service included? What about laundry or the backyard? Would they stay at your home all the time or will they just come over casually? Would they walk your pet, feed them and pet them?
When you look for someone, make sure that they understand what their position is and what they will need to do. This way, you know if they are the best for the job or if you need to make other arrangements. Besides, it is always best to know what to expect from each other, especially when you are house sitting or pet sitting.
Summer days, camping adventures, visiting family, business travels, or any other activity you might have planned to do, or you might want to do this summer or any other time… do it without worries of who can house sit or pet sit your most beloved possessions. Find the perfect person for the job and run away for the holidays! Why not?
