How to Prepare Your House Sitter

The holiday season is here, and if you’re like many people, you will be traveling for at least part of it. While you’re away visiting friends and family, the last thing you want to do is worry about your home is safe.

To set your mind at ease, it is often a great idea to hire a house sitter to keep an eye on your place and take care of household tasks. In order to prepare your house sitter with everything they need to know, check out the following tips:

Create a house sitting info pack

While you might plan on calling your house sitter at least a couple of times to check in, you also want them to have your contact info at their fingertips in case something is amiss. Print up a sheet with your full name, address, phone number and email address, along with your spouse’s and maybe adult kids’. As a backup, ask a trusted friend or neighbor to be a local contact; if your house sitter has a personal emergency and cannot fulfill their duties they can call this person to fill in.

Go over any alarm systems

If you have a home security system, it is imperative that your house sitter knows how to use it. Invite them over a few days before you leave and show them how to deactivate the alarm upon entering and house, as well as reactivate it when exiting. Practice this a few times. If you do not have a home security system, you may wish to install one prior to your leaving. They can give you an invaluable sense of peace of mind while you are gone, and the security system will keep an electronic eye on your home at all times.

Advise on lights and arrival times

Nothing screams “hey burglars, we’re not home!” like a house that stays dark for several days at a time. At the same time, you don’t necessarily want to leave a bunch of lights on for a week or more. Ask your house sitter to turn different lights on and off while you are gone, and leave a TV or stereo on now and then. Also, in case bad guys are in the neighborhood casing homes to see what is going on, ask your house sitter to vary the times they arrive so it looks like someone is living there.

Cancel mail and gather papers and flyers

If you can, visit USPS online to have the post office hold your mail delivery while you are away. Then ask your house sitter to pick up the newspaper in your driveway, any packages that are delivered and gather any flyers that might be hung on your doorknob or gates; if they pile up, this is another sure indication that no one is home.

Knowing that your house sitter is equipped to take good care of your place will allow you to relax and truly enjoy your time away. By going over everything ahead of time, your house sitter will also feel comfortable working for you and more likely to do it again the next time you go out of town.