How to Find a House Sitter (Who is Reliable and Trustworthy in 9 Simple Steps)

If you’re planning a vacation or leaving your home for a long-term trip, finding the perfect housesitter is important.

In this guide, we will share how to find professional house sitters who can take care of pets and keep your house safe while you’re away. 

1. Plan Ahead of Time

Don’t wait until the last minute before reaching out to potential housesitters.

You should post your house sit listing as soon as you know you’re going away. This will give you time to search and vet them out based on their experience, reviews, and skill level. However

Most of the best active house sitters will be booked in advance, so the sooner you start looking, the better. 

2. Pick a House-Sitting Website 

There are a wide variety of reputable house-sitting websites that allow you to find trusted house sitters. After 4+ years of house sitting as well using house sitters, we have found some platforms better than others. Below are the ones we use and recommend to family and friends.

These websites are great places to find reputable house sitters: 

• Trusted House Sitters – Want 20% off your membership? Click here and it will be automatically applied at checkout
  
• House Sitters America
  
• Aussie House Sitters 
  
• Mindahome
  
• House Carers 

These sites also provide a safe community where they properly vet each sitter. Plus many offer insurance and peace of mind.

Some house sitters do charge for their services, you want to know how much to pay your house sitters, you can find this information in our post.

3. Create an Advert About the House-Sitting Opportunity 

Create an advert on the site about the opportunity, dates, and any special skills required.

Write an engaging advert that attracts the perfect match to the job.

Since there are other attractive house-sitting jobs, the advert should sound enticing.

Here are some ideas you can include in the advert: 

• Talk about your animals. Describe your pets in detail. Are they docile or anxious? How old are they? What kind of habits do they have? Do they have any favorite toys or treats that they like? 
  
  
• List the responsibilities of the trustworthy house sitter. For example, you may require the sitter to keep the house clean, water the garden, walk the dog twice a day, feed the pets, and administer medication to them. 
  
  
• Describe your home. Don’t forget to list any appealing amenities or traits about the home. Perhaps it’s a quiet and safe neighborhood. Or provide favorable amenities like Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, video games, a swimming pool, etc.
  
  
• Explain the qualities you’re looking for in a sitter. Perhaps you’re looking for someone young and strong who can handle your 30 kg, German Shepard. Or maybe you need a patient sitter who can gently engage an anxious kitty who hides under the bed. If you have a garden, you may prefer someone with gardening skills to keep your plants alive and healthy. 
  
  
• Add photos. Sharing photos of your pets, garden, or home can entice more qualified applicants and get them interested in the opportunity. The photos can help the sitter reassure that the opportunity is authentic and it is indeed a real house. 
  
  
• Share information about the area you live in and the dates you’ll need a sitter for. Giving general details about the neighborhood allows the sitter to plan out their commute. 

4. Review the Applications 

After a few days, you should be receiving responses from sitters. At this point, you may have lots of options to choose from and will need to narrow down your choices.

Most house-sitting sites offer secure messaging where you can ask them questions and look at the applicant’s profile.

Review their online profile to check for years of experience, references, and reviews.

A good sitter should have lots of house-sits under their belt. Take a look at their profile description, expertise and services offered. 

Once you’ve read through their profile and application, you can make a shortlist of candidates that best fit what you’re looking for.

Reach out to these potential candidates to see if they are still available and willing to continue the interview process. 

5. Perform Background Checks on the House and Pet Sitters 

Trusted profiles should contain police checks and references on their online profile. Police checks show any offender history from the individual.

Make sure to ask for the reference’s contact information so that you can speak to their referees about their experience with the sitter. 

6. Meet and Greet the Potential House Sitter 

Once you’ve narrowed down the applicants, it’s time to meet your potential house sitters in person.

You can introduce the sitters to your pets and see whether they like them.

Good animal caretakers will know how to approach pets and generally get excited to see them.

Show them around your house and explain the instructions. For example, you can demonstrate how to administer the medicine and turn on the AC.

Although in-person meet and greets are always preferable, sometimes the sitter may be traveling. You should also ask what their dog sitting rates would be for your animals.

Some sites, such as Trusted House Sitters, will allow you to video interview the sitter to see if they are a good fit. This lets you gauge your level of trust with that person. 

7. Come to a Mutual Agreement and Choose a House Sitter

Now you’re ready to make a decision! Choose the sitter you prefer and let them know the good news!

You can formally have them sign an house sitting agreement form to agree to the terms and conditions. Having a written contract and clear instructions lets the sitter know what to expect. If you are not sure what to include, you can use our house-sitting instruction template. Using this means you won’t forget any important information.

Most house sitting platforms don’t require you to do this, just acknowledging you accept their application just start an agreement.  

Make sure to exchange contact information, arrange dates and times to arrive and leave, and when to pick up the keys. 

8. Prepare the House for Their Arrival 

Before you leave, provide them with written instructions for the sitter. Also, leave emergency contact info for the house sitter.

This includes the vet and animal hospital information and any neighbors or relatives. Feel free to share information about the local area like supermarkets, restaurants, etc.

Clear space and clean your home so the sitter feels comfortable. Also, keep all valuable belongings in a safe or take them with you.

Feel free to let your neighbors know about the sitter arriving and keep a spare key for a trusted friend or family member in case something goes wrong. 

9. Do You Have Cameras?

If you have cameras inside or outside the home, you need to let the sitters know. This is a non-negotiable and should be discussed ahead of time.

Ideal house sitters aren’t always easy to come by.

Keep their contact information for future trips if they do a good job! Now it’s your turn to find a trustworthy house-sitter!