Does anyone use a house-sitting service?

[JorisBonson]

We're going away for a week (🤞) and have 2 very needy cats that won't do well with just daily visits and definitely wouldn't do well at a cattery. Plus I'd feel happier not leaving the house empty.

I've looked at Trusted Housesitters and Housesitters UK but don't really know where to start and don't want to be scammed.

Any tips or recommendations appreciated!

I’ve used Trustedhousesitters many times over the last 8 years with many different house sitters, several of whom have been on more than one occasion. There have been a couple of issues (freezer door left open once and bath plug mechanism misunderstood) but then BIL ran the shower door off its hinges so we accept accidents happen.

The key thing is to vet your sitters and I’d start by looking for the number of reviews they before having a call to discuss your requirements. You also have to consider that your home and cats have to be attractive to someone wanting to house sit (good location for tourists, interesting house, lovely gardens etc) and I’ve had someone ask to visit before accepting because they had their fingers burned with a truly filthy house. Don’t be afraid to ask for proof of identity if you are concerned about being scammed - although I’m not sure what your main concerns in this regard. We’ve never had an issue.

Many of the regular sitters will bring their own pack of food (and bedding in at least 1 case) but we are quite relaxed about them using what we have in the cupboard.

Creating a guide to the cats and house is helpful and I clean the house far more for sitters than I ever do for us 😀

Really helpful, thank you @Greenhillfaraway!

We have a great girl we use for shorter trips but unfortunately she is busy with uni work so can't commit to anything.

I hope you get sorted. There is an upgraded service which includes insurance if your sitter has to cancel or if there is damage to your house. I don't have it but you might want to investigate.

I'd also say that my sitters have been good but I'm more wary of people who are travelling the UK and just wanting anywhere to stay - I've have had a couple of sitters cancel when they've found a better (longer or closer) offer. Having said that, I've had some people who permanently house sit who I was organising trips a year in advance with pre-Covid as they were so good.