AIBU to think I can start a house sitting business?

[Scotschic]

I came up with what I think of as a brainwave of an idea! I want my dp and I to start a home sitting service, what do I need in order to do this business? The background story is that just now I’m in a job I absolutely fucking hate, I’ve just applied to go back to college & if I’m successful then I would be starting in August/September of this year, it’s a full time course that finishes June 2019, my dp has been unemployed for 4 months so no income from him anymore and dunno how long it will go on for.

It’s obviously only an idea at this stage but any knowledge of house sitting services from anybody would be great, I’m in Central Scotland btw.

Well if that thread from today is anything to go by; you can make an absolute mint apparently so go for it

HAHA! I was thinking the same as PP. Why not start just doing it yourself using the housesitter website? Get some experience before you start your own.

Ahh I did think it seemed a very easy thing to start doing and it means I can still go to work, even though I hate it but I love the money [happy] and money makes me happy I must admit

Didn’t know there was another thread on the same thing, that someone else wants to start the same business? I live in what’s considered a ‘posh’ part of town [hmn] and we do have very rich houses and I’d imagine the owners go to far and away exotic destinations a few times a year, or is my idea of a posh person a bit wrong? anyway my point is is that I can see a load of houses that need to be babysat! Is that a word, babysat?

No, in the other thread the OP housesat for friends as a favour, while they went on a month long honeymoon.

She took her own food, cleaned the place up at the end, and bought some fresh milk and bread for when they got back, and the CFs sent her a text asking for a "donation" of £300 towards the bills!

There were links posted on there to house sitting sites with approximate charges that people thought OP should charge the "friends". It did look quite lucrative.

OP was going to be seeing them tonight, and people were waiting for her to update, but all the placemarking etc, filled the thread up.

@motoko
There is a new thread about the CF asking for money from the house sitter

Ahh okay! I actually was reading a story in a business type magazine, ages ago in a cosmetic clinic waiting room, about lucrative businesses that people started up after leaving high pressured jobs, they paid well but left little or no time for family, for themselves, for fun, they were working 14 hours a day, 6 days a week, and missing out on life and so they resigned and started house sitting services and they did it themselves, as in house sat, and that was what I intended to do anyway, although I didn’t make it known in my original message but I meant I wanted to create a business where I would advertise my services, my credentials to do the job!.. Erm what do you need in the way of credentials, to be one house sitter? Anyone?

If you are going to look after animals.
Maybe a dbs check .
Get some cleaning experience as you going hsve clean the house from top to bottom

This article indicates renumeration is around £10 per day, OP.

www.saga.co.uk/magazine/money/personal-finance/making-money/how-to-make-money-by-becoming-a-house-sitter

I think most people would be a lot less happy to have a couple housesit than one person, so it might mean staying away from your DP - is that what you were planning? I also think you'd have to see what demand was like - I don't know anyone who's ever used a house sitter, but perhaps there'd be more demand than you think. There would definitely be more if you also pet-sat, but then you'd also need to be prepared for it to take a lot more effort, particularly for dogs.

I didn’t mean animals too, does that have to be part of the deal with the people that want their house watched?

Cleaning jobs sounds like a great way to get the experience, duh 🙄 to clean houses, there’s a certain way to clean and it will probably be mammoth in the sheer task of them all and so for this, I’m not looking forward to cleaning houses, although I can take pictures of beautiful houses and post them to IG and pretend they’re my houses? That’s ok yes? Jokes...

£10 a day?! That’s absolutely shit!

As a general rule, if something seems easy then you probably won’t make much cash from it otherwise everyone would do it!

Not sure how you’d go about setting it up as a business yourself but there are a few established sites you might want to get familiar with

m.housesittersuk.co.uk/sitters/register

www.mindmyhouse.com

I didn’t mean animals too, does that have to be part of the deal with the people that want their house watched?

Depends on the family, but yes, you may be asked to do that.

There is a website, House Sitters UK, where you can register and advertise for £20 per year

A friend did that in London in his youth.
He worked a job but couldn't afford London rents so had all his items in a suitcase and just moved between house sit jobs and the occasional couch when no jobs were available.
He earnt a good amount for it actually, stayed in lovely places in zone 1 and 2 and paid no rent in London for 4 years so saved a bucketload and the money he earnt he added to it. He had a decent sum at the end.
Go for it, it can be good money but realise that you will never feel at home.

I definitely have a lot to research and then think about, would I really get business that regular that I’m never at my own home? I don’t believe that of where I live, in London then maybe, but not central Scotland, not where I am, I’m not looking to be an international house sitter (not now anyway although I bet it’s far more lucrative to do the ‘sitting’ abroad) as my ds is still at school and I’m not taking her out, who’d look after her whilst I was away anyway, this is directed at those of you that suggest letting her stay here, she’s at a vulnerable age so want to be here for her.

Thanks for all your advice ladies it’s much appreciated, you all knew far more than me, I love MN, you can literally ask anything and you will be answered make no mistake. Brilliant

I would have suggested dog walking - logistically easier - but I gather from your previous post you don’t want to be responsible for other people’s animals.

I think you should have a look on some house sitting websites and read their FAQs. They will probably say what credentials their sitters need. At the minimum, I would expect the sitters are DBS checked and have public liability insurance.

I would think a lot of people with pets use house sitters, as they get the house looked after, and won't need to put their pets in kennels/catteries.

@Prestonsflowers Yep, I saw it!

Where would your child be while you were housesitting? I’ve used housesitters and I can’t imagine many people would agree to a child in residence too.

I really don't think you'd find many people who would want a house sitter who brought their child with them. Also, while you would find some people who wanted house sitting but not pet sitting I suspect it's a fraction of the market - it's a pretty big extravagance to get a house sitter just to look after the house, whereas for a pet if it's that or kennels/cattery it makes much more financial sense.

Someone I knew through work did housesitting, plus worked full time for a pretty reasonable salary. It was in Sydney, and he housesat for people that were going travelling for 3/4 months, and got jobs by word of mouth. He didn't get paid for doing it, but he hadn't paid rent or any household expenses for about 4 years (plus often had the use of a car) since he first left uni. This would have saved him the equivalent of at least $20,000 pa.

If you didn't have a lot of ties like children or pets, I thought it would be an excellent idea. It wouldn't have worked for me, because sadly I'm probably not tidy enough to get positive word of mouth feedback.

What would you do with your DD? The person I know doing this is retired. He does ok out of it but most jobs seem to be with pets and one was horses! I remember thinking rather you than me but he is used to mucking out horses so maybe he has that on his CV! I know you need impeccable references and a dbs check.

I get the impression they want sedate types to do it and absolutely no one is going to accept a child staying. In the days of airbnb you've got to be offering more than just someone-staying-at-the-house. You have to remember most clients are not the type to let their property out for money - quite often older well off people. This changes what they are looking for in a house sitter.

Sorry to sound negative, like I say, the person I know doing it stays in some lovely places but he's a very different demographic to your average mumsnet reader and it is often harder work than it first sounds.

"I really don't think you'd find many people who would want a house sitter who brought their child with them."

We've house sit as a family five times, it was great! Some people like families if their pets are used to family life. We've stayed in grand country houses and small suburban homes.

However, we were never paid, it was through a website. Maybe if you aimed at the high end who were willing to pay it could work.

I’m not sure there’s a demand for house sitters if it’s not for looking after pets. I mean, why would you use one?

The rich and wealthy would have a housekeeper in situ. Everyone else would just lock up and leave their empty house when they’re away, maybe with a neighbour keeping an eye.

The only people I know of who use a house sitter are my parents' neighbours, and it's really more of a pet sitting service - 2 dogs and three cats. The sitter is a woman on her own, and she's usually there for about 3 weeks.