What Differentiates My House Sitting Services From Other Providers?

My decision to create a stand alone business was based around what I could see as clear shortcomings and gaps in the usual service and delivery of pet sitting and house sitting service providers.

Generally speaking, the majority of sitters are either advertising via local media, or they are a paid member of a membership site.

Many sitters have limited experience, and are not really committed to providing a professional service. Others are quite happy to spend 15 or 20 minutes to fill out a public profile and pay a membership fee to then go into a pool of other sitters to tender for sitting opportunities as they arise.

As a person familiar with managing risk, I see the barriers to entry into this industry as minimal, and near non existent. That considerably increases the risk profile for home owners in my book.

Membership sites due diligence on members is definitely not a guarantee to get a good sitter either. There will always be a conflict of interest with a membership site model that is dependent on fees from its membership base. That point alone should be question enough to look beyond that model.

It is also worth noting that there is a considerable gap between the current players in relation to screening and accepting members.

Established sites work to retain and build their membership and industry positioning, newer sites try to get a piece of the pie and market share. Its certainly not rocket science. The result? Increased risk to the home owner seeking a sitter with the right attitude, experience and accountability.

There are also free sites, or those who offer free sitting services. Expect even more relaxed, or more to the point, non existent due diligence and security/identity checks to be done on members in these situations. That is, very low barriers to entry/membership.

In other words, the risk profile, and the prospects of something going wrong in these instances increases considerably.

Is ‘free’ worth the added risk to you, your pet/s, your possessions, and your home? Only you can answer that.

So what differentiates my service from other providers? [green_tick_1_list width=”100%”]

I am a professional house sitter. I have developed my own purpose built website, and created all the content for it.
I provide genuine testimonials and references from 3 different target groups. These are taken from my house sitting assignments, my Workaway volunteer and travel stays, and my personal life coaching business. Together, they number close to 40 personal testimonials. Real people. That is, my testimonials/reviews are authentic – not fake, vague or contrived.
I provide an active blog to help home owners better understand the risks, opportunities, preparation, and the tips and tricks to ensuring a win/win for all concerned.
Privacy and confidentiality is maximised as you are dealing with one person throughout the negotiation and the stay. I respect agreements and people. With membership sites you are involving administrators and other house sitters and letting them know you will be leaving your house unattended. With free sites you are putting it out there for everyone. Added risk perhaps?
I have a proven track record that is clearly demonstrated and totally transparent – presented publicly on my website.
My experience in life, and as a professional, is clearly demonstrated throughout my website.
I am a local Hobart person. To add to that, I have also worked with hundreds of local businesses and individuals in Southern Tasmania.
As this is my business, it represents my reputation. I am accountable to the people I work for and with.
I have been Police checked numerous times throughout my working life. I currently possess a Working With Vulnerable People – Child Related Activity card (volunteer and coaching) issued November 2016 and current in 2023.
My service acknowledges that all situations are different and understands that home owners have different needs and requirements. No one size fits all. My flexibility and adaptability is documented clearly in my testimonials – that comes through life experience and opening up to a wide range of people and places.
I look after peoples property, their assets, and their pets with a high level of care. I treat peoples property like I would treat my own. Click here to see what my clients say about their experience with my services.
My services and fees are negotiable (upwards and downwards) and cognisant that each stay is different. Put simply, less work, more features, longer stays usually = reduced fees. In some instances I offer a FREE service for stays that require a presence only. (that is, no pets or additional duties).
And importantly, I am always looking to refine and improve the services I offer.[/green_tick_1_list]

It is by demonstrating the above that I am able to offer measurable and tangible value to home owners with my services. Talk is cheap. Promises mean nothing. Unknown quantities and vague representations from transients and opportunists, increase the risk of a stay to the home owner. (My article on house sitting horror stories provides real life examples of what can, and does, go wrong when you invite the wrong types of people into your home).

What about written agreements or contracts? They mean very little if the person/s involved do not have integrity, or if they don’t have the runs on the board, and/or evidence of a strong community presence. In fact, you may as well forget them – they amount to zero!

How much is your home, your assets, your pets, your memories, and your privacy and confidentiality worth to you? Only you can answer that.

Please go to the Availability tab at the top of the home page to view the times when I may be available for a house sitting assignment. If you know of someone who might be looking for a proven sitter, please share my details with them. By also liking/sharing my site on social media, and recommending me, you help me get my message out there.

To find out more about how I may be able to help you, please go to my Facebook page right here.

I generally respond to enquiries within 24 hours.

Questions? Please go to my FAQ page.

*Craig Hedge is a Professional house sitter and pet sitter based in Hobart (nipaluna), Tasmania, Australia.
Craig is also a Professional Coach and author of the Instinctive Living self help ebook and audiobook series available on Amazon and Audible
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?

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.

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