As a house sitter, your last day on a property is just as important (if not more so) than your first day. Absolutely, first impressions matter — but final impressions endure. A successful handover of the house (and pets) back to the homeowners is the quiet, often underestimated, finale of any house sit. And it’s…
When House Sitters Get Rejected
When applying for house sits, rejection is going to be an unavoidable part of the house sitting lifestyle. For every successful application, there will be several others that won’t go your way — especially if you’re competing with dozens of other sitters for the same appealing property. Even with all my 20 odd years of…
Soft Skills And How To Use Them
When it comes to house sitting, reliability, honesty, and a love of animals are the traits most often mentioned — and rightly so. But there’s another side to successful sitting that rarely makes it into the checklists and how-to guides. It’s the “soft skills” — the quiet, human abilities that determine whether an arrangement feels…
When Family Share The Same Property
In most house sits, the arrangement is nice and simple — the homeowners are away, and the sitter lives in the home, caring for it and any pets as agreed. But sometimes there’s a twist: a family member of the homeowner is living on the same property, albeit in separate accommodation, such as a tiny…
Microwave Manners
Who doesn’t like using a microwave that is nice and clean on the inside? This isn’t just about appearances — it’s simple hygiene. The interior of a microwave can quickly become a breeding ground for bacteria if splattered food is left to harden and rot. When food particles are reheated time and again, they can…
Should House Sitters Supply Their Own Linen?
When preparing for a house sit, one detail that often gets overlooked is bedding and linen. Should house sitters bring their own, or rely on what the homeowner provides? There’s no single right answer, but understanding the pros and cons of each option will help you decide — and, more importantly, make sure expectations are…
Caring For The Vehicles
When you take on a house sit, especially an extended one, your responsibilities will often go beyond caring for pets, plants, and the property itself. One important duty that is sometimes overlooked is the care of the homeowner’s vehicle. Even if the car isn’t being used regularly, it still needs occasional attention to keep it…
Connecting With The Local Community Online
Expanding from my previous post on how Kiwi house sitters can build and cement good relations with the immediate neighbours, this one will look at the wider community, the sitter’s role in it, and how they can tap into it to their advantage. As I’ve previously stated, house sitting comes with more than just the…
Happy Neighbours – Happy House Sit
When stepping into the role of a house sitter, your responsibility extends beyond the four walls of the home you’re looking after. The surrounding community, and particularly the immediate neighbours, plays an important part in ensuring a smooth and successful sit. While many homeowners emphasise caring for pets, gardens, and property, they may not mention…
House Sitting – A Cost of Living Lifeline
The cost of living has risen sharply in recent years, and many people are searching for creative ways to make their money stretch further. One increasingly popular solution is full-time house sitting. While many people think of house sitting as a casual arrangement – helping out friends or neighbours, or taking on occasional part-time jobs…