Can I Trust House Sitters

You are planning a vacation and want someone to watch your house.

Maybe you have a lot of plants that need watering or a sweet furry friend that needs pet care.

Whatever your reasoning, it can be nerve-wracking to let a stranger into your home. This is especially true when you’re not even there!

Can you trust house sitters? How can you ensure a successful house sit? 

Keep reading to learn all about whether or not you can entrust a stranger with caring for your home and pets.

Can You Trust House Sitters?

House sitters are generally trustworthy. It is in their best interest to meet your expectations.

If they don’t meet the homeowner’s expectations, they will receive a bad review. And then they won’t be able to grow their house-sitting business.

Occasionally, you’ll come across a sitter that you might not trust with your home and pets. However, there are ways to determine their trustworthiness before you even hire them.

We’ll talk about house sitting etiquette as well as green flags and red flags later in this article.

Is It Safe To Hire A House Sitter?

It is safe to hire house sitters. This is especially true when you find them through word of mouth or online platforms.

If you hire a house sitter that a friend has hired before, you know they’re pretty good. Check with their previous sitters to find a match. This is the best way to get helpful character references.

Even if your friends don’t know one, you can find potential house sitters in community forums. If enough people can vouch for them, then you know they’re a safe bet.

When using an online platform, you know the sitters have completed background checks. You can also read honest reviews to know if they are good at their jobs.

Online house-sitting platforms, like Trusted House Sitters, also offer customer service. This helps to ensure a great experience. House Sitters America is another trusted website. 

Some of the popular sites also offer vet advice and have pet care hotlines. This means that your pet sitter will be able to provide professional care even in an emergency.

You have to pay an annual membership fee for many of these services. We think it is well worth the money. Some membership options are quite affordable although some have an expensive membership fee.

While there’s always a risk, it is quite easy to safely hire the perfect sitter.

What Should I Know About Hiring A House Sitter?

When hiring a sitter, it is important to discuss your expectations. If they know their responsibilities, you will be on the same page. This will ensure a positive experience.

You should also know how to determine if you can trust the sitter. For instance, look at their external references and experience. You might find that sound house sitters charge, here you can see how much is reasonable to pay a pet sitter.

Their house sitter profiles will also give you an idea about them. You might even find the perfect house sitter!

If they have mostly positive reviews, they’re probably a good choice. If someone doesn’t have a lot of reviews, that means they’re not that experienced.

This isn’t a bad thing, but it can be hard to trust someone new to the platform. Fortunately, you know they’ve passed a background check depending on the platform’s policy.

You will also have the opportunity to chat with potential sitters. This will allow you to discuss your preferences. It will also give you a chance to see if you trust them before letting them into your home.

How Can I Tell If A House Sitter Is Trustworthy?

The easiest way to determine a house sitter’s trustworthiness is by reading reviews.

You can read their reviews online or ask people who have hired them in the past. If you have local friends who have hired sitters in the past, you can see if their sitter will work for you.

Some sitters will travel to popular destinations to house sit. But some will sit locally. If you hire a local sitter, you can probably meet them ahead of time. If you hire someone from abroad, you may get to meet them via video call.

If you notice negative reviews or a lack of reviews, you may want to stay away.

If you use an online platform, you will probably receive dozens of applications. Fortunately, most of them have passed police background checks. It is still helpful to look at their profiles.

How Can I Prepare For A House Sitter?

Even if you trust the house sitter, there are some things you can do to protect yourself. These are precautions you should take even if you do trust the sitter. 

For instance, lock up any valuables or move them to a different place. Most sitters won’t steal from you, but won’t even be tempted if they never see anything valuable.

If you have something breakable, maybe put it somewhere safe. Accidents happen and this is a great way to prevent them.

Make sure your Wi-Fi passwords and security alarm codes don’t match any of your other accounts.

Leave anything they need in easily accessible places. You also should leave detailed instructions for your pet sitter, that way they will be prepared for anything that happens.

Is It Safe To Become A House Sitter?

While it’s mostly safe to hire house sitters and be a sitter, there are always risks.

House sitters can also investigate potential employees. You may find some red flags that would prevent you from taking a job.

You can use platforms that require background checks on homeowners. You can also use word-of-mouth to find trustworthy employers.

It’s also beneficial to research the area to see what precautions you should take. For instance, you may need to know how to be safe during certain types of weather.

Some places may have higher crime rates. Others may have wild animals. Just being aware of the area will help keep you safe.

Once you understand the situation, you can submit your job application!

Just like with everything, there are some risks within the house-sitting world. Homeowners and sitters should both take precautions.

However, there are risks no matter what choice you make. So taking precautions will allow you to enjoy a safe and happy experience.