How to Start a House Sitting Business
For many people, a home is their biggest and most treasured investment. Whether they're going away for a weekend or an extended vacation, knowing that their house and yard are being lovingly cared for is a priority that contributes to peace of mind. Likewise, individuals may hire house sitters to look after pets in their own surroundings rather than having to board them or rely on neighbors.
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Things You'll Need
- Business license
- Police background check
- Bonding certification
- Business insurance
Instructions
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Determine how much time you can reasonably devote to being a house sitter. For instance, are you a college student or retiree who has relatively few expenses and the freedom to spend extended periods of time away from home? Or do you have a house of your own that needs to be maintained and, thus, can only allow you to take short-term assignments within your neighborhood?
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Acquire a business license and get bonded. (Your insurance agent can assist you with the latter.) Since you will have access to people's homes, they're going to want to know that you're not a security risk and that they will be compensated for any damages that occur while you are house-sitting for them. Having a police background check done on yourself is also advisable.
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Determine what kinds of house-sitting tasks you want to be responsible for. At a minimum, you'll provide a "presence" to discourage potential burglars. Some of your clients, however, may want you to do yard work, take care of their pets, water indoor plants, perform housekeeping duties, take phone messages and make sure that bills get paid during their absence.
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Determine what fees you want to charge based on your scope of responsibility. You may want to occasionally offer your services for free, especially if it's a chance to experience a completely different lifestyle than you're used to (such as a posh mansion) or to forgo paying for rent or hotel rooms in a foreign country you've always wanted to visit.
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Practice house-sitting for friends and relatives to get a feel for what it's like to live in someone else's home. Encourage them to write testimonials and letters of recommendation for you.
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Design business cards and a professional website. Carry your business cards with you at all times. If your budget allows, you may also want to design some small brochures and make them available in venues such as salons and spas, coffee shops, travel agencies, luggage stores, veterinary offices and foreign language schools.
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Draft a standard contract with the assistance of an attorney. This document should address the duration of the assignment, the responsibilities involved and the fee for your services. Many house sitters request half of the fee payable upon signing the contract and the remainder when the homeowner returns.
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Advertise in the classified section of suburban newspapers. If you're particularly adventurous and are open to assignments outside of your own neighborhood (including outside of the country), consider registering with an online house-sitting agency.
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Add testimonials to your website. You might also want to consider starting a blog and sharing some of your house-sitting tips. This will help to establish you as an expert.
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Offer discounts for homeowners who refer you to their friends and neighbors.
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Tips & Warnings
Whatever you use at a client's house must be replaced before your departure.
House sitters are generally responsible for buying their own food.
Have the homeowner prepare a document that states you have been authorized to take care of the house during a clearly defined period of time. The original of this document should be filed with the police department before the homeowner's departure. A copy should remain with you at the house.
Ensure that the neighbors know you're the house sitter; otherwise, they might call the police to report you as an intruder.
Always keep your passport up-to-date in case a wonderful opportunity to house-sit overseas falls into your lap.
In the event of an emergency, always know how to reach the homeowner. If there are pets involved, know the name and phone number of the vet.
There should be no overnight guests or partying on the premises unless you have permission in advance from the homeowner.
Always have a practice run-through with any security systems you'll be activating while you're house-sitting.
Never take a house-sitting assignment in an environment where you don't feel safe.
Resources
- Photo Credit Photo by Christina Hamlett
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Comments
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petsitterteija
Jul 16, 2009
glad you wrote this. i found some new things i need to think about cause i'm currently working as a housesitter. very good advices for someone who is starting out!
