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What to cover when meeting your sitters

1st January 2015

Your initial meeting with a sitter should be 30 – 60 minutes and really just depends on how well you get on with each other! At this point there is no need to show them everything and go through full instructions, as you’ll have the chance to do this once you have chosen your sitter and have your final meeting with them before you go away.

 

When a sitter first arrives at your home, they may be a little shy, so the best icebreaker is to introduce them to your pets! You can also observe how comfortable the sitter is with pets and how your pets respond to the sitter.

 

A good conversation starter could be to find out why the sitter decided to start house sitting and what their experience has been like so far. This will help you learn about the sitter’s goals and get to know the type of person they are. You can also ask about their upbringing and experience with pets similar to your own.

 

If you feel you are getting on well with the sitter you should progress to discussing some of the particulars of your house sit. For example, pool care, plant and garden maintenance and anything else you may consider requires some expertise or time from the sitter. You should also discuss your pets’ daily routines to check if they will fit in with the sitter’s schedule. For example, if your dog is used to two walks a day and the cat requires medication every four hours, then this may not suit a sitter who works 9 – 5.

 

If by the end of your meeting you are happy with the sitter, you should let them know where you stand and also find out from them if they would like to house sit for you. Just as you may be interviewing other applicants, your sitters may be applying for other house sits with conflicting dates. So as soon as you’ve made your decision, log into housesitters.co.nz and book your chosen sitter.