Sometimes House Sitting also means Making Peace with the Domestic Cat

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Chris

I am animal person, this is always useful when house sitting for someone else, and it can give the added bonus of letting the house owner leave their pet at home rather than making often costly arrangements elsewhere. Having said that I am an animal person, it doesn’t always mean that the cat or dog is a “people animal”. Let me explain…

When I looked after a friend’s apartment while they were off enjoying the sun I was also asked to take care of their family cat. This cat was an indoor cat so it meant cleaning up after it as well as feeding it and keeping it entertained. None of this is a problem and you’ll find that most cats will give far more than it takes to care for them. However, with this cat sitting there was a clashing of heads to be had. Continue reading →

Posted in Your Experiences | Tagged | Leave a comment

How to Find the Best House Sitters

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Joe

House sitting is the practice of letting someone assume the role of the house owner while the true owner is away for a period of time. While this sounds reasonable enough, it could become a big job to sort out. An owner of a house has his/her entire life tied up in their home, so it is not an easy task entrusting someone with such important belongings.

Even so, it is often inevitable that a person needs to go on a nice vacation or must go on a business trip and needs to do so without worrying about whether or not their home and pets are secure.

So how do you find the right house sitter? Here’s how: Continue reading →

Posted in Home Owners Tips | Tagged , | Leave a comment

House sit in the most visited city in the US?

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Tracy

I just love traveling around this great big country of ours so to save money and be able to see more I look for house sitting opportunities wherever I can. I was recently in Texas and its said that San Antonio is the most visited city in the US so I just had to see it for myself.  I had managed to secure a 2 week house sit with a couple of cats and a low maintenance yard to look after in Austin and while there was able to fit in a quick trip to San Antonio for a day.

There is plenty to see and do in downtown San Antonio and one of the first places I went to was the River Walk which is a colorful pedestrian walkway below normal street level lined with restaurants, bars and shops. Along the way are many historical points of interest such as the Aztec Theater which, when entering,  is like stepping back in time. If you like shopping there is also the large Rivercenter shopping mall to distract you. Continue reading →

Posted in Places | Tagged , | Leave a comment

It Makes Sense to Use a House Sitter

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Thomas

Urban sprawl and increasing social mobility are making it more practical to use a house sitter when you must be away from home. Time was when communities were close-knit, families lived not far away and neighbors looked after each other. Sociological developments, however, have changed all that. If the time comes when you have to leave your home to go on a holiday, attend to some business far from home or just be away for a while, you might not be able to find someone to look after your home for you.

Simply locking up your home is not always practical, especially if you have a pet which needs looking after, or plants which need tending. Pets are a special concern because the alternative is to put the pet in a kennel, which can be an expensive proposition. Asking neighbors to look in once a while may prove to be an imposition and is not an option you can always rely on. Leaving a home unattended always exposes you to the risk of fires or other natural disasters which might strike while you are away. Your home insurance policy may also be invalidated if the home is left unattended for a long period of time. The more practical alternative is to use a house sitter. Continue reading →

Posted in Home Owners Tips | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Why Be a House Sitter?

Posted on May 28, 2012 by Thomas

It’s not difficult to be one, but why be a house sitter in the first place? The answer, for the right person, is easy: save on accommodation costs while experiencing different places as a local, not a tourist. House sitting is an activity that’s not only ideal for persons suited to this type of work: retirees, self-employed persons or those who are not tied down to jobs with fixed time schedules and commitments but also people saving for their first home or wanting to check out a location before deciding which area they would like to move into permanently.

Becoming a house sitter is easy. All you need to do is sign up with Mindahome and pay an annual fee to become a member of our organization. You’ll need to provide some personal information plus specifics about which areas you can do house sitting in, what times you can do so and other conditions you might want to impose. Continue reading →

Posted in House Sitters Tips | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Start Off Right With a Good House Sitter’s Profile

Posted on May 17, 2012 by MindaHome

When you’re looking for work as a house sitter, get off on the right foot with a good profile. A homeowner has a deep, personal attachment to a home so that getting a house sitter is more than just hiring an employee or contractor. When a homeowner chooses a house sitter, he or she is picking someone to whom he can entrust a valuable part of his life. Your profile should communicate that you are that person.

A good house sitter’s profile should communicate two things: information and feeling. The information part is easy because you’ve probably filled up enough application forms in the past. It’s important that you be totally honest and upfront with this information, which a homeowner can (and usually does) verify. Continue reading →

Posted in House Sitters Tips | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Tips on How to Select a House Sitter

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Sarah

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. Continue reading →
Posted in Home Owners Tips | Tagged , | Leave a comment

How to Become a House Sitter the Professional Way

Posted on May 5, 2012 by Sarah

House sitting is an activity that is becoming increasingly popular, leading many to inquire as to how to become a house sitter. So how does one go about becoming a house sitter?

You can advertise your availability to house sit by walking up and down Main Street with a sandwich board. Or, you can go about it professionally by signing up with Mindahome, an online company that provides house sitting services. At Mindahome, persons that are interested in being house sitters can register and submit their details in the form of a profile. The company then makes this information available to homeowners looking for house sitters. Continue reading →

Posted in House Sitters Tips | Tagged | Leave a comment

Cash vs. Credit: What’s The Best Way To Pay a House Sitter?

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Mike

As you’ve probably noticed from browsing Mindahome, most of the time there is no money exchanged between the sitter and homeowner. Rather, the sitter is offering their service for free, in exchange for a free place to stay. It’s a win-win for both parties.

But there is the odd occasion when money might be exchanged. Why? Here are a few possible reasons…

For paying the house sitter:

  • There are lots of chores involved. There might be a special pet who requires frequent attention, farm animals that need to be cared for, or some other task which is above and beyond the usual.
  • The home is in an undesirable location. Have a house at the beach? Finding a sitter will be no problem! But if the house is in the middle of nowhere, there may be fewer people willing to sit it… but sometimes cash can grease the wheels. Continue reading →
Posted in House Sitters Tips | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Why Having a Stranger House Sit Is No Bad Thing

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Chris

I think if I could pinpoint the greatest concern of most owners when considering having a house sitter stay at your home while you were away, it’d be the fact you don’t know who they are. So many questions can run through your mind, Will my plants be alright? Will my dog be well fed? Will my posh dinner set be safe? That sort of thing. However, having a house sitter is not like swinging the door open and inviting anyone off the street; it’s much safer than that.

The first thing that needs to be noted is that many people would often be happier if their house was unoccupied while they were away, rather than invite someone else in to stay. This is understandable, but an empty house that doesn’t look “lived in” is far more likely to attract unwanted attention and therefore puts it more at risk. The key is finding someone trustworthy and ensuring that you’ve done enough to make sure that you’re covered. Continue reading →

Posted in Home Owners Tips | Tagged | Leave a comment