Housesitting can be a very lucrative job for the right person. Relatively simple in nature, the primary responsibility of the housesitter is to live in the house of the employers while they are away from home. Many homeowners do not want to leave their residence and property unoccupied while they are out of town, so they employ a housesitter.
Besides simply living in the home, there may be additional responsibilities that are included in the engagement. Retrieving the mail, watering the plants and caring for the family’s pets are common tasks that often go along with housesitting. Even if your employers tell you to simply go about your daily routine without putting yourself out in any way, there are several common sense Do’s and Don’ts you should follow while housesitting.
Do Treat The Home As Respectfully As You Do Your Own. Don’t waste electricity or water. Pick up after yourself and address potential household issues expeditiously. Lock the doors when you leave for any length of time.
Don’t Make Long Distance Phone Calls From The Home’s Landline. Use your cell phone for toll calls and use the landline for local calls only.
Do Introduce Yourself To The Neighbors. Your employers have undoubtedly notified the neighbors about your presence, but it is a friendly gesture to say hello and introduce yourself to the neighbors if the situation arises.
Do Not Have Guests Unless It Is Allowed By Your Employers. It may not always seem like it, but housesitting is a real job that you are getting paid for. Do not allow other people into the home while you are housesitting unless you have received prior permission from the homeowners. If you are allowed to have visitors, keep it to one or two and do not allow the get together to become rowdy or disruptive to the neighbors. Any disturbance will get back to your employers and will reflect badly upon you.
Do Take Your Responsibility Seriously And Perform All Tasks Daily. Take in the mail every afternoon and pick up any debris on the property. If basic housework is part of your housesitting responsibilities, dust and wipe down the bathrooms every day. Do not leave the chores until the last day of your housesitting engagement. Treat this job as any other and spend a certain amount of time every day performing your required tasks.
Do Not Be Nosy In Your Employer’s Home. This is a no brainer, but an area that must be addressed. You have been hired to housesit, largely because of your trustworthiness and dependability. Do not breach your employer’s trust by snooping around their home.
Housesitting is an excellent way to generate an income. By fulfilling your responsibilities satisfactorily, you will create a reputation as a trustworthy and dependable housesitter that will lead to additional job opportunities.
