How to Choose a House Sitter

People seek out house sitters when they'll be spending time away from their home. It serves as a reassurance of safety when spending time away from the house. Sometimes house sitters simply look after and maintain the home while owners are away, and others can serve as a sitter for pets as well. Either way, a house sitter is entrusted with your valuable home and belongings, making choosing the right house sitter an important step.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Advertise, either using traditional advertising formats or word of mouth, to gain a collection of strong applicants when seeking a house sitter. Make sure the ad clearly outlines details and expectations of the job.
2. Thoroughly interview qualified applications in your first round of interviews. Ask questions specific to the types of roles you need them to fulfill. Discuss any special circumstances that would be required, especially if they require additional skills. Some of these include lawn and pool care, and pet sitting.
3. Ask for referrals from friends, family and acquaintances. You'll feel more at ease leaving someone new with access to your home if you know that others have had positive experiences in the past when working with the individual.
4. Demand a list of references, and take advantage of the list. Call all references and ask honestly about the house sitter's reliability and performance. Ask about pet care if the particular reference also had the sitter care for his or her pets. One question that often sums up another's experience is, "Would you hire this sitter again?"
5. Cut your list of applicants down to your few top choices.
6. Invite each applicant who has made it to this stage to come to your home for a tour. Remember that just as you are interviewing a potential house sitter, they too are interviewing you as a potential client. They'll be looking to see if you have a clean, well-kept home, if there is a nice bedroom and bathroom for them to use during their stay and if the home seems safe. They'll also be interested in parking arrangements, lists of emergency numbers, knowledge about your neighborhood, pets and expectations. On top of it all, they'll be seeing if they hit things off with you--someone they could be working for in the future. They will want to feel as comfortable as you do.
7. Combine how well your personalities match (and how your pets reacted to them, if you have any) with the feeling you got when talking with each applicant's references to choose a house sitter. If it makes you more comfortable, try out the new sitter for a short time, such as overnight or a weekend, before committing to a longer stay.