House Sitting Horror Stories – How Well Do You Know Your House Sitter?

The availability of people who can house sit or pet sit for you is generally not an issue. As I have discussed throughout my articles, the key is to ensure you are getting the right person to look after your home and pets. Unfortunately, house sitting horror stories are a little more common place than many of us might think.

Before I discuss some of these stories, I want to again accentuate the importance of doing your due diligence on anyone who you are considering to stay in your home. Your major asset/s and your pets deserve nothing less than the best option.

There are opportunists, transients, dishonest people, substandard sitters, and those who are looking to capitalise on securing a home to house sit for all the wrong reasons. All too often these people present and advertise as being good people. Some come recommended, or are considered trusted based on the home owner knowing them from a distance perhaps. Surprisingly, many operate through registered house sitting membership sites. House sitting can be a risky business.

The above is exactly why you need to make sure you are getting the right person for your home – the first time. Lets briefly take a look at some of the unfortunate stories associated with house sitting. Note that I will provide direct links to these stories for your own research.

In Australia there was the case of the cafe owner moving to Canada for six months. The house sitter concerned stole a 50 inch TV, a computer and a sewing machine. Read the article here…

Another case involved a young 17 year old house sitter where an X-Box 360, ten X-Box games, $500 cash and a pair of headphones were stolen. Read the article here…

Then there was the 70 year old Australian grandmother who hired the ‘house sitter from hell’ who locked up her pets, then robbed and vandalised her home. “She came across so nice and she was close to our age so that’s why we trusted her,” she said. “She told us she had been police-cleared. I then asked her to bring her references when she came but she never did, and by that time we were packed up and ready to go.” The house was in an “atrocious” state when she returned from holidays. Read the article here…

And in America, a couple who went away and left a professional house sitter in charge of their San Francisco apartment, were shocked to discover that he had listed their home on Airbnb to rent out to strangers! Read the article here…

In the following article, the home owner has vowed never to have house sitters again. This was based on her experiences with letting them into her private space and how they had taken it upon themselves to move things around. Read the article here…

And then we have the pet sitter who brought her own dog to the house sitting assignment. This frightened and stressed the home owners cats, and disturbed the neighbours with noise and barking. It was also revealed that the sitter did not stay every night at the premises. Read the article here…

Even Hollywood gives house sitting some air time with the 2015 movie release of The House Sitter, a movie that dramatises what can happen when you let the wrong person inside your home…and that looks can be deceiving. You can take a peek at the movie trailer right here….

And from the other side, here is a link to an article that talks of a pet sitters horror stories involving a highly strung dog, a pathetic parrot, a flea ridden cat with diarrhoea, and the sad tale of 4 dead guinea pigs who allegedly died from stress! You can read more about it right here…..

Of course there are many more horrible stories associated with choosing the wrong person to look after your home and your pets. The above cases clearly demonstrate that personal recommendations, familiarity or recognition of a person, enlisting services through house sitting membership sites, and taking people on face value are not guarantees that you will get a good house sitter.

A quick checklist:[green_tick_1_list width=”100%”]

Do your due diligence.
Request information and references – and ensure you receive them prior to a stay.
Look for experience and a proven track record.
Does the person provide demonstrated results of previous stays?
How serious or committed is this person to house sitting anyway?
Do they have an online presence like a website, or to a lesser extent a facebook page?
Does that online presence indicate a genuine body of work and interest?
What are their values and their beliefs?
Do they smoke or drink?
What is your feel about this person?
Do they ask questions? If they do it demonstrates perhaps a level of interest, accountability and professionalism. If they don’t then it may indicate they are not engaged or listening.
What are their interests?
Do they love animals?
Are they clean?[/green_tick_1_list]

As discussed throughout this website, being able to demonstrate experience and results is just one of the ways I go about my role as a professional house sitter. My working background in compliance in no small way illustrates my focus on the importance of assessing and managing risk (on both sides) of any house sitting or pet sitting stay.

Do you need a house sitter? Perhaps you might know of a person or family who require someone to house sit or pet sit for them? If so, please take the time to share my website with them – it really helps me get my message out there. If you liked this article, or any of my other articles, podcasts or information on my website, please share and like them on facebook and your other social networks. Thankyou!

*Craig Hedge is a Professional house sitter and pet sitter from Hobart (nipaluna), Tasmania, and is currently available for selected stays throughout coastal Tasmania and Australia.
He is also a Professional Coach and author of the Instinctive Living self help ebook and audiobook series available on Amazon, Audible and iTunes.
https://www.audible.com/author/Craig-W-Hedge/B0767ZFK1Z

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you housesit outside of Tasmania?

Yes. I am always open to housesit throughout Australia and around the world. The future is open!

Why should my pets stay at home anyway?

Clearly there are good arguments for pets to stay at home instead of being sent to expensive, and at times noisy and crowded boarding kennels. Your pets can get stressed. The fact you are leaving them may be challenging enough for them. Add a noisy environment and take them out of familiar surroundings, and it can multiply the stress for your loved ones. As someone who is very familiar with assessing risk, the risk of stress increases when these situations are undertaken - particularly with sensitive pets who are used to being looked after.

Do you walk and exercise pets as part of your housesitting assignments?

Yes. Again this is negotiable and is determined on previously mentioned variables and the individual requirements of the home owner.

How much do I charge for dog sitting and house sitting?

This is negotiable. It is dependent on the situation - and each housesit is different. Generally speaking, the more responsibilities or tasks equals additional costs. Much depends on the conditions within and around the housesitting assignment. In simple terms it is not just about what I can provide for you - it is also about what you can provide for me. It is a give and take situation. As a professional who knows the value of trust, security, experience and great service delivery, I know that paying peanuts usually results in acquiring monkeys. The more the stay works for me, the more negotiable I am. My rates are very competitive.

What if something happens during the house sit like a problem or emergency for example?

This is where a plan is important, as well as contact details for various friends, family and services. My blog on the Home Page discusses this in more detail.

Why do I housesit and petsit?

At the end of 2014 I left my career at the Department of Treasury and Finance and decided to live my life in new and different ways - I needed a change. These days I am pursuing other interests and passions that work very well with house sitting. These include my writing and blogging, my life coaching, and my more flexible and adaptable approach to living all around the world. For now, house sitting and pet sitting works very well for my lifestyle.

What do you do as a house sitter?

This is dependent on what is required and negotiated. I offer a number of services and value adds for home owners during the housesitting assignment. See My Services on the Home Page for more information. Please also note that I am flexible and open to any roles and responsibilities that may be required during a home stay.

What duration do house sitting assignments generally go to?

Housesitting stays are negotiable. They can range from 1 night up to 12 months. It depends on my availability of course and the location.

How should I prepare my home and property for house sitting?

I suggest you write down a list of what needs to be done. You should also provide a contact list relating to any emergencies that might happen, or services that may be required during the housesitter stay. A good idea is to look at my blog on the Home Page of the website where I discuss these things in much more detail.

Can I find a house sitter to look after my house and pet/s as well as continue to rent my accommodation at the same time?

Yes. Each assignment is negotiable. I am flexible and adaptable to most situations. I understand that sometimes those staying in the home may not be as reliable or accountable in relation to the care and maintenance of your property and pets. With many home owners now using services such as Airbnb to rent out rooms, this is something that can be negotiated for the housesitting assignment.

Who pays for the household costs while I have a house sitter staying on the premises?

Each housesitting and petsitting assignment is negotiated and negotiable. Generally speaking, household costs are covered by the home owner during the housesit assignment.

Why should I use Craig's Housesitting services instead of a house sitting membership site or an agency?

My service is professional and it is operated solely and wholly by myself. Why is this important? Because entrusting your information and your assets to one trusted person considerably reduces the risk (and my working background centred around risk assessment and management) and maximises the level of confidentiality and security. I am a trusted housesitter with demonstrated long term results. Experience and reputation counts when you are trusting your major asset/s and your pets to be looked after and cared for.

Do I need to complete or sign a written contract for the housesitting or petsitting assignment?

No. My service is flexible and adaptable. Whilst I am more than happy to draw up a contract, this is not necessary. What is a requirement is that there is an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of both parties, and clear lines of communication prior to, and throughout the assignment.

How do you know that I am a trustworthy and reliable person?

I have provided around 30 testimonials and references on this website from my personal life coaching, my travelling and Workawaying in Australia and overseas, and through my housesitting and petsitting assignments. Prior to the end of 2014, I spent 10 years working for the Tasmanian Government in Compliance where I worked in a highly regulated and professional environment that required a high level of responsibility, autonomy and integrity. My role was to audit, licence, and regulate Tasmanian liquor and gaming premises. This was a position that required personal and professional responsibility, accountability and trust.

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