Safe as houses: the lowdown on house-sitting
Saturday, 1 January 2011 1:34 PM
Did you know that, if you go away for longer than a couple of weeks, your home insurance may not be valid? That is just one of the reasons that house-sitting is becoming such big business, writes Ele Cooper.
Homeowners and insurers alike are all too aware of the importance of a property being (and looking) occupied in order to deter potential burglars. However, people with pets are also becoming increasingly keen on booking a house-sitter in order to avoid the sometimes traumatic - not to mention pricey - ordeal of putting animals in kennels.
More and more companies are springing up to cater to this need, one of which is TrustedHousesitters.com. Angela Laws, one of its top-rated house-sitters, has been looking after people's properties - and their furry inhabitants - for five years now, following 30 years of worldwide travelling with her and her husband's careers. The jet-setter also regularly has house-sitters taking care of her own home, so is well-placed to advise from both perspectives.
"When I was living in Canada, I had a Springer. She was 14 years old and couldn’t travel the world with me and my husband, so I had a house-sitter to come and look after her," she remembers. "When I lost her, I knew I couldn’t have another one because we travel too much, so I contacted my house-sitter and asked if she'd consider using me as a substitute if she was unavailable for an assignment - and that's how I started."
In fact, despite the fact that many home insurance policies become invalid if the property remains unoccupied for a month or longer, Laws believes that pet care is most people's top priority when hiring a house-sitter.
Many house-sitters (including Laws) do the job for free, motivated by the thought of luxurious accommodation in a new and exotic location. "We lived in hotels for up to two months at a time when my husband was travelling for work, and it doesn’t matter how nice a hotel is - you end up thinking 'I don't want to be here'," Laws adds. "House-sitting is a wonderful alternative that a lot of people don’t even think about."
Is house-sitting safe?
Of course, the idea of a stranger living in your home doesn’t appeal to everyone, and Laws says that many of her friends are shocked when they learn that she doesn’t always meet her house-sitters before they 'move in'. She explains that, while it's preferable to meet the house-sitter in advance, you don’t always need to because you get "a feeling" for the right person when communicating over email or the phone.
Laws is keen to emphasise the importance of checking a house-sitter's references. "Do all the ground work that you would do if you were employing somebody, because that's what you're doing - even if you're not paying them," she says. Similarly, while there is an inherent requirement of trust in having a house-sitter stay in your home, you need to use common sense and lock up any items of particular monetary or sentimental value.
How to prepare for a house-sitter
While house-sitting websites give plenty of advice, Laws reckons there are a few areas that simply don’t occur to some new-to-the-game homeowners. Top of the list is storage: "You should always leave a house-sitter a kitchen cupboard, some space to hang clothes in the wardrobe and a shelf in the bathroom," she says. "And some milk in an otherwise clean and empty fridge is a bonus, as are teabags!"
A detailed set of instructions, especially when pets are involved, is vital. Also include notes on how the heating works, security systems and anything else you would want to know if you had just moved into a new property. Leaving some personal recommendations of things to do, good local restaurants and so on is also invaluable to many house-sitters.
In terms of sitter-homeowner compatibility, a key criterion for Laws is hygiene. "It would be wonderful if homeowners and house-sitters were on the same wavelength as far as cleanliness standards go," she says, admitting, "I'm OCD when it comes to cleanliness, but not everybody is the same way - and I did once walk out of a house because it was so dirty."
This, however, was a one off. "Other than that one time, I've had nothing but positive experiences," enthuses Laws. "Usually the homeowners are lovely and the pets are great. That's what I get the greatest pleasure from: knowing the animals are secure in their own home, with someone there who's going to treat them as well, if not better than, their owners - because as a house-sitter, you've got more time for them."
Long-term house-sits
Pet-less houses, Laws says, are a "totally different ballgame". If it's a long-term house-sit - and assignments can last several months - it is generally ok if the house-sitter spends a few nights elsewhere, provided they clear it with the homeowner first. "It's great - you have the freedom to go out and explore the area you're staying in," she says. Indeed, the travel opportunities are what attract many house-sitters into this unusual pastime.
What else differentiates longer-term house-sits? "The house-sitter would generally pay for utilities," Laws says, "And often a vehicle will be provided for them so they can get around."
So would she recommend house-sitting? "You've got to have an adventurous nature to be a house-sitter, but I think it's absolutely wonderful," Laws concludes.
Want a house-sitter to look after your home the next time you go away? We've got an exclusive code which grants you a free 12-month membership to TrustedHousesitters.com's homeowners' service, normally worth £30. Just visit the website and enter the code 'aboutproperty' when signing up. (If you're not sure when you're going to be away, you can create a profile now and add dates later.)
