If you don’t know how to select a house sitter the right way, the experience can be a pretty uncomfortable. After all, you are about to embark on a process of entrusting an important part of your life and a major asset to a stranger. Here’s how you can go about selecting a house sitter knowing that you will be leaving your home in safe, competent hands.

• The first step is to register your home with Mindahome where you will be opening an account complete with your own User ID and Password. You need to provide details about your home and your house sitting requirements. Registering your home is free of charge to home owners.
• Once your home is registered, the process works both ways. Persons looking for house sitting jobs in your area can apply for work. You, on the other hand, can view profiles of different potential house sitters and invite them to apply. The key is to find a good match by examining the profiles of potential house sitters. Then, you should pick out the most likely candidates for an interview.
• A face-to-face interview with potential candidates is ideal. However, if this is not convenient, an interview via video chat or by phone should be arranged.
• During the interview, get to know as much about the candidate as you can. Establishing rapport with a person to whom you will entrust your home is critical. Although much of the background information is available in the candidate’s profile, the personality of an individual can only come through in an interview. Use the interview to double-check the data provided in the profile. Ask for references from previous employers and verify these references. Check for police records.
• After you’ve interviewed your most likely prospects for house sitting, rank them according to skills and attitudes. Be fair and don’t demand things you don’t need. For instance, if you don’t have a pet, a candidate with animal care experience doesn’t really have an advantage over a candidate without one. Attitudes can be the tricky criteria. Some people are natural charmers so make sure you’re not just being swayed by charm in choosing a house sitter.
• Once you’ve made your pick, negotiate the terms of employment and make sure that everything is crystal-clear between you and the house sitter. Cover emergency situations and agree on back-up arrangements. Draw up an agreement and review and sign it together to make it legal.

There are no guarantees when it comes to selecting a house sitter. However, if you follow these steps, you’ve covered all the necessary areas and increased your chances of picking the right house sitter to take care of your home.