Handy tips for finding a house sitter

Going away and worried about leaving your home empty or putting your pets into kennels? Here we're sharing our top tips on finding a house sitter for a smooth experience all round!

How to find a house sitter

Finding a house sitter might seem like a daunting task, but connecting with loving pet people via our platform means you no longer need to worry about how to find a reliable house sitter. Your furry family will stay happy and healthy in the comforts of home while you're away, in the company of a true pet lover who's there purely for the love of animals. So without any further ado, here's how to find a house sitter in a few simple steps.

1. Explore our community

Get started with finding a house sitter by creating your free account. Explore our platform, browse sitter profiles and create your pet parent listing.

2. Create your listing

Purchase your membership and create your listing, then share as much as you can on your pets, home, and what you (and your furry family) look for in a sitter.

And remember, honesty is key when you're finding a house sitter! If your property is far from shops, doesn’t have great wifi, is quite rustic, you’d need to speak a local language or your dog is quite spirited and needs sitters with relevant experience, be honest - there are sitters in our community for all occasions, but it is only fair to give a clear picture for the house sitter. And creating a good experience for your sitter means they're more likely to want to return to care for your pets and home again, so honesty in the first instance will make finding a house sitter a whole lot simpler in the future. Plus, while you're wondering how to find a good house sitter who can meet your pet's needs, you know what we're going to say! Be honest about your pooch, kitty, bird and any other pets in your furry (or feathered) family.

3. Let the applications roll in

Review your sitter applications, read reviews from other pet parents and decide who’s the best fit for your furry family. You'll receive five applications at a time, so review each application before deciding whether you'd like to receive more.

4. Spark a connection

Get chatting to the sitters who’ve applied, setting up phone and video calls to cover the bases and make sure you’re on the same page. For any sitters who don't feel quite right for you, your home and your furry family, send them a quick 'thank you' message via your inbox before declining their application - courtesy goes a long way in your journey to finding a house sitter!

5. Seal the deal

Once you’ve found the perfect companion for your furry family, you’ll both need to click ‘confirm’ to secure your sit.

Finding a house sitter: tips for once you've sealed the deal

1) When you’re happy, swap personal contact information to ensure that you can always contact the sitter about the planned house sit if need be.

2) Prepare your welcome guide for your sitter, including information about any particular pet requirements, instructions for working specific electrical items and garden care. Some information about the local area - recommended cafes, supermarket, walks or places of interest for example - are always beneficial for the house sitters too. It is also very important to leave any emergency contact information, e.g. vet, plumber, friend who could be called on if anything urgent is needed - as well as your own contact information while away.

3) Prepare for your sit handover! Finding a house sitter is one thing, but you'll need to make sure you prepare your sitter for their stay, and make them feel super welcome on arrival. To help you prep for your sit handover, head to our handy checklist.

4) Clear some space for the house sitter to unpack - especially if the house sit is for any lengthy duration, somewhere to hang clothes, or an empty drawer or two is always helpful.

5) Let the neighbours know you’ve got a house sitter arriving. It could save any embarrassing confusion! And it’s always worth leaving a spare key somewhere safe too - perhaps with a friend or neighbour.

6) It sounds obvious, but leave things as you’d expect to find them. We're aware of house sits where pet parents have had to dash off and not left enough time to clear up, or empty old items out of the fridge. In 99% of cases, this isn’t an issue, but the tidier a sitter finds a house sit, the tidier you’ll likely find your home upon your return.

7) Allow sufficient time to show the house sitter(s) around first, introduce any pets, feeding habits, and a walk around anything they need to know during your sit handover, especially if there are any nuances. If travelling from afar, many pet parents invite a sitter the evening before, to go through everything properly. It's always much appreciated if you could leave some basic provisions for the sitter, for example a first meal.

After the house sit

Leave a review for your sitter

Next time you go away…

And next time you need a sitter, simply log back in, update any membership requirements, and your listing will be there to edit, and finding a house sitter will be simple.

House sitting enables a great win-win for both parties, the arrangement is between yourself and the house sitter - and with mutual respect and sufficient preparation, everything should run very smoothly. Every week, hundreds of home and pet parents across the world find ideal house sitters with TrustedHousesitters.

We always appreciate you passing on the word about how finding a house sitter via we can provide invaluable peace of mind, and please do let us know about any great experiences you have with this too.