house watcher when extensive traveling
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Sarah in SC
Moderator Emeritus
We've never paid the housesitters who move in for weeks at a time. It is an exchange of labor for staying in the home, hence the careful matching of expectations.
I have paid some local friends a couple of times when we were gone less than a week. $25 a day for one visit per day.
I have paid some local friends a couple of times when we were gone less than a week. $25 a day for one visit per day.
45th Birthday
Recycles dryer sheets
We are away from our largest house for most of the year and have our landscaper watch it during both extended periods (summer and winter). He checks it inside and out and takes care of minor issues and repairs. We pay him what amounts to around $50 per visit. Worth it because he does an extensive checklist.
We don't want cameras, smart thermostats, etc., because part of the point is not fussing over it when we are not there. There is an alarm system that will deal with intrusion, hot temps, cold temps, water, smoke, carbon monoxide, you name it, but it runs itself.
At our smaller house, which is unoccupied nine + months per year, we have a caretaker who visits weekly and checks before and after storms. The house is drained and winterized, and the heat is left on at a low setting. He can deal with minor repairs.
At our condo, which is unoccupied for seven or so months a year, the manager and staff take complete care of it, inside and out.
We take our dog with us for all but short trips (up to two weeks), and kennel him during those. We would not travel without him for longer than that, not fair to him and part of being a dog owner.
We don't want cameras, smart thermostats, etc., because part of the point is not fussing over it when we are not there. There is an alarm system that will deal with intrusion, hot temps, cold temps, water, smoke, carbon monoxide, you name it, but it runs itself.
At our smaller house, which is unoccupied nine + months per year, we have a caretaker who visits weekly and checks before and after storms. The house is drained and winterized, and the heat is left on at a low setting. He can deal with minor repairs.
At our condo, which is unoccupied for seven or so months a year, the manager and staff take complete care of it, inside and out.
We take our dog with us for all but short trips (up to two weeks), and kennel him during those. We would not travel without him for longer than that, not fair to him and part of being a dog owner.
Trix55
Dryer sheet aficionado
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You might try advertising on Workampers.com, or Workers on Wheels which is work-for-rvers-and-campers.com.
Both cater to the mobile RV crowd, if you can provide water, power and possibly a method for them to dump holding tanks, you can probably find someone who would trade housesitting for a quiet parking spot.
Both cater to the mobile RV crowd, if you can provide water, power and possibly a method for them to dump holding tanks, you can probably find someone who would trade housesitting for a quiet parking spot.
My family, friends and neighbors trade off keeping an eye on houses, getting mail and pets. Though I've never had to do it for longer than a week. My parents keep an eye on a neighbors home while he's in Florida for the Winter. My one neighbor always sends his older dog to the kennel when he's gone due to injections that the dog requires. I pick up his dog before he gets home so he doesn't have to worry about getting to the kennel. We do have one neighbor that no one will ask to house sit/watch because they are nosey.
Amethyst
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
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I've noticed a 'landscaper' theme which implies that a lot of people 'have a landscaper' year round. We do our own yard maintenance, and have been leery of turning it all over to someone else. Let alone allowing them into the house!
Somebody - it had to be from another neighbor on our shared driveway, who does use a landscaper year-round - walked down our driveway and stole the electric hedge trimmer right out of our garage. (I say it had to be their landscapers, because nobody else is going to turn off the main road, travel 700+ feet down a shared driveway and target our house, just to take a hedge trimmer). Think we're going to let that kind of person in our home? Riiiiight!
Amethyst
Somebody - it had to be from another neighbor on our shared driveway, who does use a landscaper year-round - walked down our driveway and stole the electric hedge trimmer right out of our garage. (I say it had to be their landscapers, because nobody else is going to turn off the main road, travel 700+ feet down a shared driveway and target our house, just to take a hedge trimmer). Think we're going to let that kind of person in our home? Riiiiight!
Amethyst
harley
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Crooks be everywhere, as do honest people. You have to make the call yourself. Our lawn guy is a great guy, does all sorts of stuff for us. Back when I was working long hours DW convinced me that spending my few weekend hours mowing was a poor use of time/money. I continued having it done even after ER. I could mow, but these guys edge and blow and do all sorts of stuff. Worth it to me.
Having said that, even though our guy is great, all he does for us as far as house watching is make sure nothing on the exterior is damaged by storms. It's not that hard to shut a house down. With the water off and a generator managing electric outages there's nothing that can really go wrong inside. Add in a security system for break ins and we feel well covered.
Having said that, even though our guy is great, all he does for us as far as house watching is make sure nothing on the exterior is damaged by storms. It's not that hard to shut a house down. With the water off and a generator managing electric outages there's nothing that can really go wrong inside. Add in a security system for break ins and we feel well covered.
