Experience And Maturity Counts With House Sitting

It has never been easier to find a house sitter to look after your home. There are numerous membership websites for both house sitting and pet sitting throughout Australia, and of course overseas.

Some require payment to join up, others are free for Hosts to join. Further to that, any search through your local newspapers or online newsletters and social media sites will usually find someone ready and willing to sign up and move in.

But is it that straight forward, and that easy, to get a professional, experienced and proven person to house sit in your home?

For example:[green_tick_1_list width=”100%”]

How trustworthy are these people?
How much integrity does a membership website (for example) have?
How long have they been in business – what is their track record?
Do they appear to be professional?
Have they properly screened their house sitters…and does that screening for the most part, primarily require a membership payment to get on the books (as this is a prerequisite for the majority of membership sites) so to speak – potential there for a conflict of interest perhaps?
How would you really know who and what you were getting from any service?[/green_tick_1_list]

And what about the house sitter chosen (or more to the point the person available) for you by these membership sites?[green_tick_1_list width=”100%”]

How long has this person/s been house sitting for?
Do they have a proven, demonstrated, track record of great results?
Are they trustworthy?
Are they professional?
Will they respect your privacy and maintain (let alone truly understand) an expected level of care and confidentiality?
Will they look after your home and your pets the way you have asked them to?
How would you know?
Do they have genuine written testimonials endorsing them?
Do they have a website or an online presence?
What do you really know about them?
For example what are their personal values?
Are they clean and tidy?
Are they energetic and proactive – do they genuinely care and take pride in what they do?
Are they a good communicator, and will they keep you informed or in the loop during your time away from home.[/green_tick_1_list]

A lot of people house sit with very little experience. This is not necessarily a bad thing of course, but can you trust that they will do what is required in your home? Do they have the feel and initiative to look after your house? The plain and simple fact is that experience counts when it comes to pet sitting and house sitting. Genuine testimonials are very important as they demonstrate clearly that other people have been happy with their service/s.

As a professional person and a trusted long term house sitter, I know the importance of getting the right person for the job – the first time. I have looked after peoples properties throughout the UK (in Wales, Ireland and England), and in Western Australia and Tasmania.

Unlike the majority of house sitters, I have chosen to create my own website and also provide considerable social proof in the way of testimonials and feedback gathered over a long period of time, from different areas of my life, to help you get a better feel for who I am. Demonstrated results speak for themselves.

If you would like me to house sit and/or to pet sit for you, or you know someone who might benefit from my other services, please like and share my website with them – it helps me get my message out there. For further information, or to enquire about availability, please go to the contact me form at the top of the page.

*Craig Hedge is a Professional Coach and Lifestyle Mentor based in Hobart (nipaluna), Tasmania, Australia.
He is author of the Instinctive Living self help ebook and audiobook series available on Amazon.

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.