How House sitting works.

A house sitter lives in someone else's home while they
are away, providing a mutually beneficial service -
to themselves and the home owner.

A house sitter cares for the house, garden, pets,
forwarding mail, their day to day expenses,
(including phone, power, etc)
and provides property security simply by being there.

Property owners save
the worry of committing to a lease
or leaving an empty house
and the expense of boarding pets,
pool maintenance, lawn mowing, etc.

In return,
house sitters gain rent free accommodation
which is of immense value for anyone saving
for their own home
or simply looking for an affordable holiday.

Handy hints here

Articles & Experiences here

Sample Agreements here

The House sitting service works as follows.

We place your details (the sitter) on the page for
the areas you are interested in - including your
preferences for dates & places
and your comments as to why a home owner should use you
to look after their home while they are away.

Home owners looking for a sitter
search our pages looking for someone who meets their needs
and is available in their area during the time they are away,
then contact the suitable sitters and once references are checked, make mutually acceptable arrangements.
Most home owners will prefer to make direct contact with a suitable sitter when they start looking
rather than advertising to the world that they're going to be away.
They can however, place a wanted ad for free if no one suitable is available.

You would normally arrive the day before the home owner
leaves for hand over etc.
They could even pick you up from the airport if necessary
and you could drop them off if they were flying out somewhere.

For a little mutual assistance,
you save on accommodation costs
& they have their home occupied,
looked after, and pets cared for.

The concept of Housesitting has been very popular
throughout the world - Europe, UK, Canada, USA & NZ
for a number of years.

Have a wonderful holiday.

Endless Holidays - A Guide to House and Pet Sitting Around the World by experienced sitters Lynne and Mike Edmonds http://www.rosedogbookstore.com/ then search for "edmonds"

Please note -
We do NOT act as a matching service
but simply as a central advertising point
This means we do NOT check references or vet potential
sitters in any way.
Please check references carefully !

See agreements below !
We strongly recommend
written agreements
between all parties - see sample here

Any Bond should never be sent in advance
Bonds
Whilst many owners don't seek a bond, it is quite common and acceptable for owners to request one, equivalent to 2 - 4 weeks rental.
 This should never be sent in advance and only paid in person to the owner once you have inspected the property and are about to take over responsibility for the property.
Always get a receipt and include details of the bond in your written agreement (see www.housesitworld.com/howitworks.htm#Agreements )
The amount will vary from one sit to another as each home / situation is different.
It may also be advisable to consider having a mutually agreed third party hold the bond or even a solicitor.
Sorry, we are unable to provide a bond holding service

House sitter Testimonials

Actual testimonials received from our house sitting & home owner clients
More are listed here on our Testimonial page.

Feel free to email yours - info@housesitworld.com
 

House sitting Agreements
Particularly for extended periods, we recommend written agreements to cover what is expected from each party - see a sample below or see your Solicitor if necessary. A Solicitor can also provide a bond-holding service if required.
Your agreement should include the following:
(This is NOT a legal document but only a suggested starting point)
(Click here to download a copy)

(Suggested format only !)

Particularly for extended periods, we recommend seeing your Solicitor
for drawing up an agreement to cover what is expected from each party.
A Solicitor can also provide a bond-holding service if required.
Your agreement should include the following:

Full names and addresses of parties.

Drivers licence details for identification

Dates of house sitting agreement

The Housesitter should arrive at an arranged time prior to the client’s departure to receive final instructions from the client.

The Housesitter will have the client’s home ready to welcome him/her upon return and report anything of importance occurred in his/her absence and account for any expenditure.

The Housesitter will leave at a time convenient to you both.

1. The client’s home must not be left unoccupied for any unreasonable amount of time – Specify.

2. Visitors are permitted however the Sitter is fully responsible for their actions and any possible results of their actions.

3. The Housesitter is not allowed to have parties at the client’s property – Specify.

4. Pets are to be attended to as agreed – Specify.

5. Home care and general maintenance standards – Specify.

6. If the Housesitter is taken seriously ill or for any other reason must leave for the property for an extended period, he/she must contact the owner immediately.

7. The Housesitter must never undertake anything which may result in damage to the client’s property. In case of a break down of any equipment which cannot easily be mended he/she must call in a professional or follow the prior instructions of the client. – Specify amount, preferred tradesmen, etc.

8. The Housesitter should only divulge the client’s whereabouts to persons specified by the client or follow his/her guidelines in this respect.

9. The Housesitter will be expected to pay for any private phone calls made during the stay. He/she must make a note of them.

10. The Housesitter must note and obtain receipts for any living and household expenses incurred during the house sit. Expenses will otherwise not be reimbursed. For extended terms, the housesitter would normally be responsible for power, gas, etc.

11. The owner should notify the Housesitter of any damage to the property or its contents prior to starting the assignment and he/she should make a note of same in writing. Should the Housesitter be responsible for any breakage during his/her stay, he/she will notify the owner.

 

How it works ~ Find a sitter ~ Sitter Registration ~ Contact Us

Copyright © Home and House sitting Worldwide
P.O. Box 1212, Gympie Qld, Australia.
Ph/Fax Australia (07) 54828008
Mob. 0407 348 185
email info@housesitworld.com