Susan Michelle's Compass
Housesitting Etiquette for the Vacationing Homewner
By travel lifestylist Susan Michelle
Jan 20, 2008 - 2:16:14 PM

You're going out of town.  You're nervous about leaving your house/plants/pets behind--what do you do?  Get a housesitter, right?  

Why?  Think your house might go somewhere while you're away?  Unless you have stalkers, chances are, you really don't need a housesitter.  But if you disagree, at least follow my guidelines for being a conscientious “house host”:

1) FRIENDS ARE NOT DOORMATS: Don't ask friends to housesit; use recommended pros instead.  Your friends are busy.  They don't have an hour or two every day to drive to your house and back, making sure things are working, fed, and watered for the two weeks you're gone.  And unless they're homeless, or you have the Mac Daddy of party houses, they'd probably much rather sleep in their own bed than yours.  So, lock your doors, put your lights on timers, get plant watering tubes, stop your mail, and throw the pets in a kennel or pet hotel instead--yes, they cost more than your friends, but the folks there are professional pet-minders, and your friends, are, well, sometimes flaky.  I know of one friend who permanently lost a cat when she was housesitting.  Would you rather lose $200 to the kennel or lose Fifi completely?  

2) DON'T BE A CHEAPSKATE: If you're going to disregard #1, then at least be respectful of your friends' time and offer to pay them for it.  They might not need the cash, but will probably feel a lot less taken advantage of if you offer some green.

3) STOCK UP: Leave enough supplies to last your housesitter your entire trip (plus some petty cash in case they still run out): ample pet food, toilet paper, paper towels, garbage bags, cleaning supplies, and bug killer.  Cleaning stuff is vital if they accidentally make a mess, or find that Fifi did.  Ditto for bug spray, in case Fifi brings home fleas, ants attack the dirty dishes in the sink, or flies collect because you didn't take the garbage out before you left.

4) LEAVE INSTRUCTIONS: What exactly needs to be done while you're gone, and what's the housesitter allowed to do?  Use the phone?  Have guests over?  How much food does Fifi get?  Where's the dish soap/laundry detergent/thermostat?  What remotes work for the TV, Tivo, etc.?  Don't leave them in the dark to figure it all out.  

5) KEYS ARE KEY: Leave them someplace safe.  Not just the keys to the front door, but the keys to the garage, cars, and laundry room--just in case.

6) HOUSE HELP?: Does your gardener, poolboy, or maid come on a certain day?  Let your housesitter know, so you don't have to bail Jorge out of jail when your housesitter calls the cops on the machete-wielding stranger she finds wandering around your property at 7 am.

7) WIRELESS INFO: Leave the password to connect to your wireless, and advise what rooms the signal reaches.

Follow these guidelines, and you'll return with EVERYONE feeling good--and the house, hopefully, still standing…or, rather, sitting.