Home-sitting is better known as house-sitting. It generally consists of contacting a homeowner with a professional house sitter. The latter offers his services to guard, secure, and monitor the home during the absence of the occupants. So, without further ado, let’s dive into this blog and learn some of the things you need to know about home-sitting.

Home-sitting or house-sitting: how does it work?

Home-sitting, literally “house-sitting”, puts a homeowner who is going on vacation or away for a long period of time in contact with a person who offers his or her services to watch over a house while he or she is away. It’s a give-and-take. The owner leaves his property in exchange for small services. Defined on a case-by-case basis, these services are often limited to watering the plants, maintaining the garden, feeding and walking the pets, and cleaning the house.

The owner can therefore leave with peace of mind and the assurance of finding his house as he left it. In return for the home-sitting, the janitor enjoys all the facilities of the house for free. After performing his daily tasks, he is free to go about his business: enjoy the swimming pool, use Internet access, discover the region… It is still a vacation; there is no obligation to remain cloistered within four walls.

The homes for home-sitting are often located in tourist areas or, on the contrary isolated, subject to summer burglaries. There is no exchange of money between the two parties, and the costs of the stay (food, travel, etc.) are at the expense of the house-sitter, but not always; it is up for negotiation!

What is the principle of home-sitting?

If the owner of the house has to go on a mission or on vacation for a very long time, he hires a person to watch over his property. This way, he can leave with peace of mind. But in return, the guard can live like a real owner in the house. Indeed, he can use all the equipment installed there free of charge. Thus, everyone benefits from it.

Nevertheless, the person in charge of the surveillance of the house has some obligations: cleaning, feeding the pets, maintaining the garden, and watering the plants. Once they have completed all the daily tasks, they can surf the net, enjoy the pool, and much more.

Does the home-sitter get paid?

In general, the houses to be watched are located in isolated or tourist areas and are often the targets of burglars. For your information, there is no financial compensation between the two parties. Besides, the house-sitter is obliged to pay his expenses, such as food or travel. But this usually depends on the contract he has with the owner of the house.

Who should I call to watch my house?

Although house sitting is not a paid activity, it still allows you to enjoy free accommodation. Becoming a home-sitter, therefore, allows you to reduce your expenses during vacations. However, it requires :

A great availability

The ideal people to exercise this activity are those who have great availability. Indeed, the house-sitting can go from a few days to several months.

A couple

Most house-sitters are couples who want to go on vacation at a lower cost. Two people can also carry out the daily tasks with more ease and speed.

A trustworthy person

Since you are leaving your belongings with someone you don’t know, it is highly recommended to go through a professional. Indeed, you can contact a company that offers services to put you in touch with trustworthy home-sitters.

What is the difference between home-sitting and a security company?

Whether it’s a house-sitting company or a home-sitter, their mission remains the same: to ensure the surveillance and the guarding of a house. The only difference is that a company specializing in this activity has modern human and technological means. But this is especially essential during a long absence of the owner.

Finally, a security company cannot take care of the maintenance of your house, the watering of your plants, and even the care of your pets. Indeed, its advantage is limited to the surveillance and the security of your goods.

Sound off in the comments section below, and tell us what you want to read next and if you want to read more about home-sitting.