The MoneyMagpie team
May 1, 2024
Reading time: 7 minutes
Updated May 8, 2024
Earning money by house sitting is an increasingly popular way for people who spend long periods away from home to manage their households.
If you’re lucky enough to secure a long-term house sitting contract, you can use that money to pay your rent and bills, and if you work from home, it’s a particularly lucrative way to combine the two: work from home. while you are at home.
There is especially a lot of work for house sitters during the summer holidays, with postings all over the UK, and it’s a good time to start looking into establishing your house sitting plans. summer.
There is a high demand for those who are good with dogs, so if you are comfortable around a dog then you will be ideal – in fact, if you are particularly interested in being a pet sitter then read our article on pet care.
What does house sitting involve?
House sitting involves living in someone’s home while they are away. Your job is to keep things clean and tidy, perhaps look after a pet and, through your presence, deter burglars.
Some agencies also specialize in short sessions. They provide people who will stay at your house all day waiting for the plumber or an elusive furniture delivery (we all know how annoying having to stay at home can be!). This is an especially good job to pursue if you already work part-time or from home and live in a highly populated area, as it will mean more clients near you.
Housekeeping is when you don’t stay at home but keep an eye on an empty house with daily visits to water the plants, collect the mail and do a quick tidy up. Movement in the house, changing opening/closing of curtains, turning lights on and off, etc. can help deter burglars, while people with valuable plants won’t have to worry about them wilting in their absence. House sitting is also often used by owners who have cats: you can come and feed them every day, change the litter box if necessary and make sure they are healthy, but they don’t need 24/7 surveillance. like dogs do.
As a house sitter and house sitter, you can take care of your family and friends’ homes, but for regular work, sign up with a reputable agency like Trusted house sitters.
If you are doing this independently, landlords should provide a written contract with instructions on what to do if specific situations arise so that you are completely sure of the correct action to take.
Also be sure to provide landlords with references from a previous landlord and employer.
How to Work with a House and Pet Sitting Agency
It is best if you can present to an agency a police check and you will need professional references. The agency will interview you at your home to ensure you are suitable for the position.
Some pet and house sitting agencies take people on as employees and are therefore responsible, not you. They will have insurance to protect you throughout the job. This is especially important if you keep animals, as animals can harm you or others (such as a runaway dog that runs into the road and causes an accident).
House sitters are not expected to work all day; Typically, tasks will take a few hours to complete and the rest of your time is up to you.
However, it is clear that the point of a home guard is that you are there to protect it, so usually an agency, like Trusted house sitterswill expect you to leave the property for more than three hours at a time during the day and one hour at night.
Another advantage of using an agency is that you will be supported throughout the process.
They will arrange a meeting between you and the client so that you know exactly what the client expects from you as a house sitter. A checklist will be established to ensure that you and the client know exactly where you stand. You can contact the agency at any time during the babysitting and they will help you with any problems.
You’ll probably find that you get more work through an agency. Their clients will want to know that the house sitters have been carefully selected and tailored to their particular needs. They will therefore be more inclined to use an agency that does these two things.
A good agency will interview you thoroughly to determine your interests, skills and preferences. This will then help them match you with suitable clients so that the session is more fun for you and beneficial for the client. For example, a client with a cat might be matched with a house sitter who has experience looking after cats and would appreciate that.
Typically, an agency will connect you with a client who lives near you, usually in the same county. House sitting in London, for example, can be very profitable due to the large number of people in the city.
If you want to travel, agencies may be able to help you find a house further away. You can always take the opportunity to visit family and friends elsewhere. You can even plan a vacation abroad if you find someone who needs a house sitter for a month or two. You’ll have to pay for your trip and sort out your visas yourself, but it’s a great way to spend time in another country without going there. went bankrupt on hosting.
A good house sitting agency will give you health and safety training, personal safety training, advice on animal welfare and details of their own regulations and rules.
The only experience you need is running your own home. Clients just want to know that you can handle all household tasks and keep their home running smoothly.
Become a freelance pet sitter
If you’re the entrepreneurial type, you can become self-employed and advertise your home sitting services directly to potential clients.
One lady we know regularly earns £50 a day as a live-in carer. She only spends evenings and nights at home, before going to work the next day. The reason for this high salary rate is the fact that the owner of the house has seven dogs! If the house is large and there are many animals, pet sitting services can charge up to £90 per day.
A good way to know how to set competitive rates is to look at what an agency would pay you:
Payment for long-term house sitters starts at £10 per day with Housesitters. Plus, a £7 food allowance and 40p per mile for fuel – both are tax-free. Small additional amounts are available if you care for a dog or cat while you stay at home. Housesitters pay an extra 33p per day for looking after their dog. From some private agencies we have heard that short term house sitters can earn between £8 and £10 an hour.
A potential downside to freelancing is the fact that you will have to take responsibility for many things that an agency would otherwise do for you.
For example, you will need to:
Advertise your services and find clients Manage your time Register as self-employed with HMRC and complete an annual tax return Draw up contracts with your housekeeping clients Take out your own public liability insurance
It’s a good idea if homeowners notify their insurance company that someone else is looking after their property while they are away.
Independent house sitters also have liability insurance. This type of insurance will cover you if something goes wrong and it is not the home owner’s responsibility to pay (for example, you lock yourself out of the house and have to pay a locksmith). It also covers you if, for example, their dog gets injured while you’re out for a walk.
Would house sitting suit me?
Home care tends to suit people who have retired and are fit and active enough to maintain a home and care for pets. Short-term house sitting can also be helpful for students who are flexible and have time to look after other people’s homes.
As long as clients are satisfied that you take good care of their home, you may be able to keep the house if you work from home.
You need to be sure that you will be comfortable in someone else’s house, away from your own home and social circle. It is unlikely that you will be able to invite other people to the client’s home.
However, if agreed in advance, your partner may be able to accompany you during your home care! This can be helpful if one of you needs to leave the house for longer than the agreed maximum (such as shopping or running errands), as the other can stay behind to make sure there is always someone there. ‘one in the house.
Many agencies will want someone available throughout the year so that if a client needs a house sitter more than once, they can use the same person again and again.
Earn money while keeping the house: additional costs
If you work through an agency, your costs will be minimal, including personal phone calls. Owners must provide everything necessary for daily living. Plus a float to cover whatever you need as you go (cat food, etc.).
If you keep your house independently, a landlord may initially ask you for a deposit. It is best to walk around the house together when you arrive to check for any damage.
You may also have to pay for the utilities you use to maintain the home. Make sure this is clearly stated in the checklist/contract before you begin.
