FAQ

House sitting FAQ

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How do you know that I am a trustworthy and reliable person? I have provided ‘dozens’ of genuine testimonials (as at March 2021 this now totals around 50 in all) and references on this website from my personal life coaching, my travelling and Workaway volunteering in Australia and overseas, and through my house sitting and pet sitting 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. Identifying, managing and minimising risk was a large part of my day to day working life. This was a position that required personal and professional responsibility, accountability and trust.
Do I need to complete or sign a written contract for the house sitting or pet sitting 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. I prefer to look at any agreement or understanding as more of a management plan (a live and active plan of action) than a contract or agreement. For further information about this, you can refer to my 5 minute podcast about house sitting contracts right here.
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 house sitter 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.
Who pays for the household costs while I have a house sitter staying on the premises? Each house sitting and pet sitting assignment is negotiated and negotiable. Generally speaking, household costs are covered by the home owner during the house sit assignment.
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 house sitting assignment.
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 house sitter stay. As mentioned earlier, look at this as a management plan. 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.
What duration do house sitting assignments generally go to? House sitting stays are negotiable. They can range from 1 night up to 12 months.
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 house sitting 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.
Why do I house sit and pet sit? 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, contract assignments, and my more flexible and adaptable approach to living and working all around the world. For now, house sitting and pet sitting work very well for my lifestyle.
What if something happens during the house sit like a problem or emergency for example? This is where a management 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.
How much do I charge for dog sitting and house sitting? This is negotiable. It is dependent on the situation – and each house sit is different. Generally speaking, the more responsibilities or tasks equals additional costs. Much depends on the conditions within and around the house sitting 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, and a value add for all concerned. 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 – in the case of my pet sit service for example, they are often multiples less than professional boarding kennels. Importantly, my philosophy is to add value to peoples lives, so I look to give you and your pets a great experience.
Why do I charge fees for house and pet sitting when some other house sitters do not? As touched on above, the old adage applies; “..when you pay peanuts..” More to the point, if you pay no-thing, there is no value or currency acknowledged or exchanged. I am a professional house sitter. I offer a professional service that demonstrates, via my Testimonials and my experience, that I have a successful long term track record in looking after peoples homes and pets at a high level. As a result of that, my services are aimed at those home owners who understand their assets and their loved ones deserve a high level of care. In simple terms you get what you pay for – in house sitting speak, sometimes you get what you do not pay for…see my article about house sitting horror stories as an example of that. As mentioned earlier, my fees for pet sitting are not only considerably cheaper, they also enable your pets to stay at home.
Do you walk and exercise pets as part of your house sitting assignments? Yes. Again this is negotiable and is determined on previously mentioned variables and the individual requirements of the home owner. I offer a pet sitting service as part of my stay. I offer a high level of care – your pets become my friends. I consider dog exercise to be very important during my stays.
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, and do 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. As an example, I recall when I was an active volunteer dog walker in Hobart at the dogs home many years ago, the noise levels there were extremely high – I often wondered how many of the dogs could cope with that level of noise and stress day in and day out. Many dog boarding kennels are the same. I would not want my dog to experience that.
Do you house sit outside of Tasmania? Yes. I am open to house sitting opportunities all around the world. Just ask!

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[guarantee_box_1 title=”My House Sitting Guarantee”]“If you are not happy with my stay then don’t pay me!”[/guarantee_box_1]

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?

My services are generally FREE of charge. Of course, it is dependent on the situation - and each housesit is different. Generally speaking, the more responsibilities or tasks may equate to 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. To be clear, my service is predominantly a FREE SERVICE.

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.