Home Owners Managing Risk In Challenging Times With House Sitters
RISK continues to expand in our lives and around our assets.
We have a current health crisis that may, or may not be, as dangerous as we thought it might be. It’s too early to tell just yet.
We have economic systems breaking down around us; asset bubbles in stock markets and real estate, record quantitative easing (money printing) by Central Banks, and personal and government debt is at record levels.
That doesn’t include employment stress, increasing inflation, and the pressures of confinement the last couple of months.
With all this fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) around, it is not the time to make poor or hasty decisions.
That brings me to house sitting and pet sitting and the state of property markets and the conditions and sentiment opening up around them.
The pressure and inequity around rental markets has eased a little. More property investors are now looking for longer term tenant options, and/or looking to sell, as the tourism market and Airbnb, the student market, and the real estate bubble, have multiple property owners in particular, rethinking the ‘investment case’ for property and real estate over the next several years.
Risk just went up considerably for home and property owners.
Back to house sitting. Like securing a good tenant, it is incredibly important now (as always) to ensure you get the best person to look after your property and pets.
Why now? Well apart from what I have mentioned above, once conditions normalise – relatively speaking at least – there may be an increasing demand for people to look after property… and an increasing number of people open to doing it.
In my opinion, if there is a rush, or at least a steadily increasing demand, it opens up the market to a pool of people to choose from who put your property, assets and pets at a higher level of risk.
Why?
Simple math – supply and demand.
There will always be people who will come in and ‘stay’ in your home (note I didn’t say ‘look after’ your home… or your pets).
Personally speaking, I have been underwhelmed by the majority of people I have encountered, who house sit and pet sit on their travels, or on occasion. I have heard the stories.
Often, not always, their attitudes are pretty ordinary. As many of these people move around, they don’t have ‘local’ skin in the game. One week they are in Tasmania, the next they are in Victoria and so on.
The key message here? Know the person looking after your home and pets. Ensure you get extensive social proof and testimonials (and importantly, READ THEM – they can tell you a lot on so many levels).
What are your values? Does your house sitter reflect those values? Are they clean and tidy? Are they mature and experienced? What’s your gut feel with them? Do they show any initiative or interest by asking questions prior to the stay?
Are their questions centred around giving or taking?
Right now RISK is even more important than it ever was.
Take your time. Do your research. Your house and pets might appreciate it.
And you might too.
Craig’s House Sitting | Hobart Tasmania Australia www.thecocreatorcoach.com