Prepare Your Home For A Housesitter

Finding A Housesitter

You're going to be going away for several days and want someone to watch over your house while you're gone. You may know someone who would be willing to take the job. Or you might have to search/ask around online for someone to take this job. Once you've found someone who is available to show up, make sure your home is at least presentable. After all, they'll be staying in your house while you're away.

Cleaning Your House

You and the sitter have each other's contact info and have confirmed that they have a way to get to your home. One thing you want to do is have all your packing done ahead of time. This way you won't be scrambling around when the housesitter shows up. Another thing to do is make sure they'll be showing up to a clean house. The kitchen sink should be cleared of dirty dishes, the trash should be taken out, etc. Even if they live in a messy home, a clean house makes a good first impression. Also set up a space for them to live in. They can stay in a spare or guest bedroom if you have one.

A Smart System

A feature you can add to your home is smart locks. Even if you have a trustworthy house sitter, having a smart lock could give you peace of mind. This will allow you to monitor your house and the sitter while you're away. You won't be wondering if they're bringing over any guests that you wouldn't approve of. You'll be able stay updated that your house is staying locked up and secured. Although your house sitter may be trustworthy and responsible, these things occasionally slip from our minds.

Preparing For Their Arrival

Besides cleaning up your house, you should stock up a bit on the groceries so the sitter will have food for the first few days. Check in with them to see what their diet consists of so you'll know exactly what you should buy. Be aware of any food allergies they may have or if they're a vegetarian and any other details. Be ready for when they arrive to give them a quick tour of your home. Make sure they know where everything is and any space you've cleared specifically for them. Make sure they're aware of your smart lock system.

House Sitting Instructions

Aside from having your house already clean, provide instructions for your sitter about what they need to do to keep it clean. Walk them through whatever daily cleaning usually occurs in your home, whatever cleaning products should be used and maybe the extent of the cleaning. If you have a smart lock system, provide any instructions to be able to operate it. You might have pets that will need to be taken care of. Make sure the house sitter you find won't have a problem with animals. Inform them of any rules involving the pets, such as any off limits areas or behavioral problems. If your pet should act up while you're away, the sitter should know how to handle the situation.

Contacts

Most important of all, make sure the sitter will be able to contact you for any reason. If a problem happens to arise after you've left, they can reach out to you about it. Also give them the contact information for any neighbors, family members or close friends. This way should you happen to be unavailable, they have someone else to try to reach out to. In the event of an emergency, they might need the assistance of someone nearby.

Be Well Prepared

Hopefully all will go smoothly while you're away. You can occasionally check in to make sure of it. You want to stay assured that your house is in good hands. You wanna return to a house as clean as you left it.

Brett is a 43 year old father of 2 boys. Has a degree in Business Management and enjoys learning about emerging business trends. In his free time he writes about his experience with business and emerging trends.