House Sitters America
for house sitting in America
Aussie House Swap
house swapping and home exchange in Australia, New Zealand & beyond
Kiwi House Sitters
for house sitting in New Zealand
House Sitters UK
for house sitting in the UK
Who house sits?
There are many different kinds of people who housesit, retired couples, singles, young families, professionals, artists, etc. There is no one stereotypical 'sitter'. Generally, most house sitters are well educated, caring, responsible people with plenty of life experience. The reasons why people house sit are as varied as they are numerous. Some house sitters are people who need temporary accommodation while they are moving from one house to another, some see the benefits of living rent free, while others simply enjoy a change of scenery.
What is expected of the sitter?
The sitters' responsibility is to live in and look after the house they are minding. This may include house security, house cleaning duties, garden and lawn maintenance, caring for pets, forwarding mail and phone messages, the occasional odd job, and anything else the home owner and the sitter both agree on.
Do we pay the house sitter?
The bottom line is it’s all negotiable between you and the house sitter. In a lot of the cases it’s just a straight swap; house sitter cares for the house and pets in exchange for free accommodation. However there maybe times when a homeowner will offer some money for the house sitting job. For example if the house was situated in an undesirable location, and/or the length of the sit was not really desirable (too short), and/ or there were lots of pets to care for and jobs to do, then the homeowner may offer to pay the house sitter something or at the very least they might cover the house sitters utility cost (eg electricity, gas, phone etc). Remember – it’s all negotiable between yourselves. Hopefully you should be able to work something out that seems fair to both parties.
Does the house sitter pay rent to the homeowner?
These things are all negotiable between the homeowner and the house sitter. In the majority of the cases it’s just a straight swap eg the house sitter cares for the house and pets in exchange for free accommodation. However there maybe times when a homeowner may ask for some weekly money from the house sitter. For example if the house was situated in a desirable location, and/or the length of the sit was long and desirable, and/or there were no pets to care for and very little jobs to do, then the homeowner may ask the house sitter for a little something each week. Remember – it’s all negotiable between yourselves. Hopefully you should be able to work something out that seems fair to both parties.
Who pays for the utility costs (electricity, gas, etc)?
Generally the house sitter pays for what they use. However if the house sitting position is not that desirable the homeowner may entice a house sitter by covering all the cost incurred by the house sitter, except maybe phone calls.
Is it really FREE for homeowners?
Yes! We do not charge homeowners anything to find a house sitter.
How do I delete my advert?
You can either login to your advert yourself via the member login link in the menu and click the delete option OR you can email us to remove your advert for you.
What happens if my house gets damaged?
House sits run smoothly 99% of the time. Out of those house sits where something may end up broken or damaged by the house sitter generally the house sitter covers the cost happily if it was their fault. If the damage was caused due to the age of the house etc then the homeowner is usually happy to cover the costs of the repairs and not expect the sitter to pay. We recommend that a house sitting agreement be used to prevent any potential problems. Aussie House Sitters has a house sitting agreement that can be downloaded and printed out. You are also able to adjust the agreement to suit your needs.
Do you send out a list of house sitters through the post?
No. Within this modern age the internet is accessible to most people (we also like the idea of being environmentally friendly – no paper!)
How do I find a house sitter using your website?
It’s easy! Homeowners can either place a free ‘I need a sitter’ advert and have one of our registered house sitters contact them directly via email (and/or phone if that suits better) OR they are able to scroll the list of house sitters and directly contact those they feel suitable. We recommend doing both to increase your chances of finding that perfect house sitter.
How long does it take Aussie House Sitters to reply to email enquiries?
Generally we reply to email enquiries within 24 hours but please allow 48 hours depending on demand.
I don’t have an email account is that going to be a problem?
You will need to have an email account when you first sign up so you can activate your profile but once you have registered you have the ability to choose to be contacted by phone if that’s preferable.
Do you recommend using a house sitting agreement?
Yes – using an agreement can prevent potential problems. Both parties can state what is expected and the terms of the house sit then sign it. Aussie House Sitters offers a house sitting agreement that can be changed to suit your needs.
How does Aussie House Sitters work?
House sitters register to list their profile on the Aussie House Sitters database. Here they can be found by Australian and New Zealand homeowners via the website. These homeowners are able to contact the house sitter directly and make enquiries if they would be interested it a house sitting position.
Also, all registered house sitters are able to contact any of the homeowner adverts that are advertised on the website directly. You must be registered before you are able to view the homeowners contact details.