Hellish house sit
On the heels of what turned out to be the worst house sit we have had so far, we thought we would pass on a few thoughts we had on how to avoid a disappointing house sitting experience.
Although most could struggle their way through a short house sit that’s gone wrong, when you are committing to months and traveling long distances to get there, not to mention spending lots of money, a bad experience can really affect a trip. The growing trend of house sitting is definitely creating issues for some people and at its root is a simple question, what is house sitting? A question that can have different answers for different people. Fundamentally, our opinion is that house sitting is an exchange of accommodations for the peace of mind of having someone overseeing the wellbeing of a property and its pets. More and more we see people looking for house sitters in exchange for labour. That isn’t house sitting but work exchange. This isn’t to say that these deals can not be agreeable, but it is not house sitting.
One of the biggest problems (or not) with international house sits is that there are no regulations. This means that each party has to be comfortable taking each other at their word because in the end there can be little to no recourse for either party if a deal goes badly.
Hindsight being twenty-twenty, here are a few things for you to consider before your next long term house sit.
A detailed list of chores
The number one thing to do before accepting any house sit is to get as much detail as possible, in writing. That means if there is an expectation of chores or work, have it outlined in detail. Vague descriptions can be interpreted in different ways and something like light yard work can quickly turn into full on construction. A detailed list before going in will let you know a) if you have the skill set needed b) if you feel it’s fair to the deal. Having the list upfront will also give you a document to fall back on if the homeowner starts to change things after you arrive.
Taking care of pets
Many house sits involve taking care of pets. To us this is a bonus because we are animal lovers, but a few questions may sway your decision on whether to accept the gig. How old are the pets? This is a question that is often ignored and could be a huge factor in its care. The worst possible case being the death of an elderly pet while the homeowner is away, are you prepared to deal with that? Are the pet’s shots up to date and has it been treated for fleas and ticks? Discovering flea bites or in our recent case, a tick bite, due to an unprotected animal is not something pleasant to deal with, for you or the animal, and can lead to medical problems in the future.
Utilities and estimations
Avoid any deal that hinges on estimations. Our recent experience has taught us that opening the door to an estimate in heating, electricity, water, gas or wood bills can lead to disappointment in the end. If the deal is to pay for utilities (common in countries where it’s expensive or in desirable locations) get as much detail, in writing, as possible and if you can, ask for a copy of the homeowner’s bill to justify the charges. Estimating your portion of an electric or water bill when house sitting a large property can lead to big problems and at worst deceit, where what is said to be negligible can end up being more than expected. We now have a rule when negotiating a house sit that anything benefiting the homeowner or their pets is paid in full by the homeowner. That means if heating is also to keep the dog and cat warm, they pay, if the Internet keeps us in communication with the homeowner, they pay.
Pictures are worth a thousand words
Ask for as many pictures as possible, of your accommodations and the property before accepting. Just like hotel scams, out of date pictures can make things look better than they are and current pictures can show you exactly what you are getting. For example, when you are told you will have a full kitchen, but it’s missing an oven or the refrigerator is a bar fridge with no freezer. Descriptions can be interpreted very differently and a picture can sometimes clear up those details. Another tool to use is Google Earth, not only will it give you a better idea of the exact location of a property, like at the end of a very rough dirt road or more removed than you expected, but you may discover things that were not revealed by the homeowners like ongoing construction next door, industrial noise or pollution (dump or factory) or something as simple as a misrepresented view.
Your instinct is right
Listen to your gut. It may sound a bit cliché, but it is so true and many times, in hindsight, we have known there was an issue due to a gut feeling. Like buying the car of your dreams, it is easy to be swayed by the external look of things because you want it so much, even though your gut is telling you that there are problems under the hood. Don’t let the idea of being in a dream location obscure your gut feeling of something not being right because usually, your instinct is right.
Inspection
Finally, if you have made the decision to accept the house sit, take the time to do a detailed inspection of the property when you arrive. This includes pets, pools, vehicles, everything. Take notes and time dated pictures of anything that looks concerning like mold, broken fixtures and dirty appliances. Be as thorough as you can, turn everything on and off including the stove, water, lights etc. Many times the homeowner is unaware of damage on their own property and a set of fresh eyes can uncover things they may later accuse you of causing. Document everything with pictures and have a final meeting with the homeowner before they depart so you can make any findings known.
Rewarding house sits
At the end of the day some of our most successful and rewarding house sits have come from trusting, generous and caring people, but not all fall into that category. Traveling to the far corners of the world to house sit can be the best experience you will ever have but it’s worth really understanding what you are getting into to avoid disappointment and at worst deceit, misrepresentation or fraud.
Don’t let our experience discourage you from taking on housesitting, learn from our mistakes. There are plenty of great, like minded people who are looking for good house sitters and some great experiences waiting to be had. If you are interested in house sitting as a way to save on accommodations or to travel longer, websites like HouseCarers and Trusted Housesitters are a good place to start. If you’re looking for housesits specifically in Canada, try House Sitters Canada.
Such smart advice! Every transaction, even if it doesn’t involve money, is still a transaction, and should be scrutinized the same way you would if you were laying out cash.
We agree because when it comes to housesitting sometimes cash is laid out, for utilities, for the flights to get there, even for a rental car.
A great article – very well organised and some practical advice. I’ve never house-sat and at the moment don’t think it very likely because we carry our house with us…
But I’ll be sharing this post with a friend of mine who is interested in getting into house-sitting and related travel.
Thanks for the insights.
Thanks for sharing Yasha, hopefully it helps someone avoid unnecessary disappointment.
Good to show the other side of house sitting. It is such a popular trend right now with the ‘sharing’ economy, I’m glad to see you point out some of the pitfalls.
It’s like anything, it’s not all rainbows and unicorns, you just need to take a few precautions from the start.
I’ve often thought about the option of house sitting, but to be honest, after reading some of your experiences (many of which I wouldn’t have thought to investigate), I think I’ll pass. Thanks for pointing all those potential issues out.
Hi Patti, thanks for stopping by. Just so you know, this was only one house sit, all the other ones we’ve had have been very good. Seriously, don’t let it deter you from trying, they can be very rewarding.
Yes Patti, most sits are good. The gut instinct is the main criteria for us, and we have done a lot of sits here and in the UK and we were a bit jittery about the sits there, as we were going for a special event and the housesit just popped up and fitted in exactly the right area. Even so, we thought it might be too good to be true, and we did a lot of google – ing and checking maps and emailing the poor people and ringing them too, but they were lovely and we had nothing to worry about. However my gut instinct was “relax, its ok, they are nice!” and they were.
Our worst sit was in Echuca, where we had a really bad sit minding some trainee sniffer dogs. The dogs were just lovely, the humans were not. They fought and rowed and yelled in front of us at each other and even left two boarders in the house when they left. Our gut feeling was “beware” all along about this sit, but we persevered. And no it never got any better and we had to leave.
.So don’t be put off, check and recheck. There is always a ring of genuineness in a good housesit, the openness of the owners and friendliness is always a good criteria. We have had some super sits and med loads of super folk. We are so glad we are doing this and the dogs and cats are worth it all!
Excellent tips. I’ve long been enamored of the idea of house-sitting but it sounds like so many things can go wrong if you’re poorly prepared.
And they are not things you would necessarily think of until they actually happen.
This is a post that was needed. We have been considering looking into it for next year and it is always good to know the pros and the cons. Well written
Thanks Paula, I must admit the first draft was just a long rant 🙂
I think you’ve covered well the mindset which is necessary. It does seem like many homeowners, particularly in certain areas, have varying levels of expectations. We try and weed those listings out, along with a few other criteria in order to keep the search for potential matches sane. Although some issues aren’t ever pre-disclosed until you get there – and then, it’s awkward to encounter a deal-breaker, particularly if there are dependent animals involved. The responsibilities are big – we found that out on our very first sit when a bush fire threatened the property. I think the entire community is on the verge of a reset and will get sorted out within a year or two. Great discussion!
Thanks Betsy, hopefully what we’ve been through can help someone else avoid a similar situation but you’re right to say that some issues are never pre-disclosed which is a shame.
Wow, this is the third post I’ve read recently on house-sits gone bad. In the other two cases the problems centred around a critically ill pet and another on home repairs so your cautions are well worth heeding. Your checklist of questions to ask is a must-read.
It’s unfortunate because I’m sure if everything was disclosed from the start they would probably find someone who would be willing to take the housesit anyway, but know what they were getting into.
We plan to try house sitting, so thanks for sharing good advice and a reality check.
We just finished a housesit in Curacao with 3 cats that was wonderful. However, the housesit gig we had before the last started out badly with a very sick and old, incontinent dog, 4 visits to the vet, etc. that we wrote about in a post of our own that you could call a very modified rant after we toned it down. In fact, that just about convinced us to NEVER HOUSESIT AGAIN. It’s a huge task for a conscientious person to walk into someone’s home and assume responsibility for their home and pets and there are many ways to be taken advantage of. Great post with lots of things to think about – just sorry you had to have a bad experience in such a lovely area!
We learned a lot about people during this last house sit. And you’re right, there are many ways to be taken advantage of, especially when you’re out of your home country and dealing with people that don’t have the same values and ethics.
You’ve done an excellent job outlining ways to stay on top potential problems. We’ve learned many of the same lessons, the hard way. It’s interesting that the sites facilitating house sitting put all the onus on house sitter, and little or none on the home owner, to provide credentials and references. I like the idea of documenting damage with the owner in advance, much like we’d do with a rental car. And we, too, decline jobs where we are expected to pay any utilities. Our services are at least that valuable.
This is very useful information for someone wanting to house sit.
I guess even the home owner’s feeing towards the house sitter can change while away, if maybe the reason for their trip doesn’t go quite as swimmingly as hoped and suddenly a scapegoat to take out the angst is sought – and who better than someone who they won’t see again!
Checking and reporting condition on arrival is a good piece of advice.
That’s a very good point, you can never really know what people are thinking.
So sorry to hear about this not so pleasant experience with housesitting, especially considering it was in Italy. I understand completely your points and disappointment. It’s good that you shared your experience and gave some tips, communication beforehand is key, we are never tired of asking many questions to the homeowners, it’s so important!
It’s definitely key but as someone pointed out, it still doesn’t guarantee that they won’t leave some things out until you arrive.
Hi Tim and Nat,
Unregulated is a very good thing in my opinion, and is just one of the positive aspects of house sitting. Once regulations take hold, the practice becomes too sterilized and less human/personal.
It is for that reason I advocate for contracts. A simple contract between house sitter and homeowner opens up communication on important aspects of the assignment. It eliminates misunderstandings and shows the homeowner you care. Your house sitting site should have a template of a contract.
Having said all that, I love this post because it’s a real look at the possibilities. House sitting is becoming more popular and it has its pitfalls! Your advice is great, to evaluate before you accept the sit. Thanks!
Wishing you safe and happy travels,
Josie
Thanks for your comment Josie. The future of house sitting is a conversation that needs to be had because no matter how prepared you are as a house sitter or home owner, there are always those who are out to take advantage. A contract is a great idea but if someone (again, on either side) isn’t prepared to abide by that contract there is no recourse when it comes to international house sits.
I’d say the key thing you mentioned is to go with your gut instinct. If you feel something is wrong, don’t do the sit. The more house sitts you do, the higher the chances that something will go wrong sooner or later, but it is worth taking the risk in my opinion. I also totally agree that House Sitting is very misunderstood by some people who seem to offer maintenance or plumbing work in exchange for accommodation – on top of looking after animals, that is. This is a weird trend, but one that I believe is not going to last, because most home owners (at least on trustedhousesitters) have homes that do not need any work done to them – a lot of these homes are actually upper middle class, some are even better than that (depending on location). Anyways, thanks for including us in your article!
Always great to hear different people’s perspectives on house sitting – thank you. Btw, here’s a new Canadian house sitters site who are offering 2 years free membership – http://www.housesitterscanada.com