Page 10 | £20 a night?

Silverbook · 2023-06-04T07:10:17+00:00

How much would you pay for a school pupil to stay in your house while you were away on holiday? Main responsibility is to feed the cat. What’s reasonable? We were thinking £15-20 but it’s divided the room with half thinking that’s too much and the other thinking not enough. I’m reaching out the the MN wisdom and the decision here will be final.

SallyWD · 05/06/2023 10:00

At 15 I seemed like an extremely sensible and wholesome teenager to my parents friends and our neighbours. I was quiet and shy, I was a Sunday school teacher, a keen girl guider. I'm sure everyone would have trusted me to house sit. However, that was only half the picture - I was also a binge drinker, a party animal and was starting to get off with boys. The quiet ones are the worst, as they say. If I was house sitting at that age I would absolutely have invited friends over and got drunk. Certainly did when my parents went away and the party caused a lot of damage.
Join Trusted Housesitters and get a free house sitter who is responsible, has references, is a grown adult and genuinely loves animals.

TokyoStories · 05/06/2023 10:06

This thread is batshit. 15 too young to be left for 10 days? Shortly after my 16th birthday I was living in a flat on my own. I wasn’t having parties, doing drugs or warding off burglars, I was going to work and then coming home and watching DVD boxsets.

ScottBakula · 05/06/2023 10:07

PunkIsNotDead · 04/06/2023 15:01

cats can let themselves out dogs can not

What? Our dogs let themselves out. The same way a cat does - through a flap in the wall. They are big dogs too.

I don't know anyone that has a dog flap in the wall .
I am not saying it doesn't happen but I think it's unusual
The homes that I pet sat in certainly didn't have them

Sisisimone · 05/06/2023 10:18

TokyoStories · 05/06/2023 10:06

This thread is batshit. 15 too young to be left for 10 days? Shortly after my 16th birthday I was living in a flat on my own. I wasn’t having parties, doing drugs or warding off burglars, I was going to work and then coming home and watching DVD boxsets.

Your experience is so unusual though that it's not relevant. The amount of 16 year olds working full time and living independently as a percentage of the UK population must be miniscule. You must realise that most 15 year olds do not have that experience or level of maturity!

TokyoStories · 05/06/2023 10:22

Sisisimone · 05/06/2023 10:18

Your experience is so unusual though that it's not relevant. The amount of 16 year olds working full time and living independently as a percentage of the UK population must be miniscule. You must realise that most 15 year olds do not have that experience or level of maturity!

Show quote history

I don’t think it’s that unusual for a 15 year old not to be having parties and doing drugs when left alone.

LJBones · 05/06/2023 11:31

Sugarfree23 · 05/06/2023 09:21

@LJBones when you were 15 life was before Internet. Very easy for word to get out that a school mate has an empty, via social media, online gaming, its not like back in the day sitting in the hall trying to call friends.

I also think it's a long time for a 15 yo to be alone.

Nor would I want to explain any sort of accident to an insurance company.

I’m 25 🤦🏼‍♀️ there was ample internet when I was 15, believe me!

Sugarfree23 · 05/06/2023 12:19

TokyoStories · 05/06/2023 10:06

This thread is batshit. 15 too young to be left for 10 days? Shortly after my 16th birthday I was living in a flat on my own. I wasn’t having parties, doing drugs or warding off burglars, I was going to work and then coming home and watching DVD boxsets.

What was the background to that?
Because living independently at 16 is not usual in the UK.

I'm almost surprised at the kids parents encouraging him to house sit. I think it's pretty nieve to think nothing could go wrong.

itsmylife7 · 05/06/2023 12:26

Just pay whatever the 15 year old wants.
If you think it's too little, you can top it up at the end.

If you think it's too much, you've got no other option really ?

TokyoStories · 05/06/2023 12:28

Sugarfree23 · 05/06/2023 12:19

What was the background to that?
Because living independently at 16 is not usual in the UK.

I'm almost surprised at the kids parents encouraging him to house sit. I think it's pretty nieve to think nothing could go wrong.

Show quote history

The background was I was in care, and left care when I was 16.

It doesn’t really matter about the background, I just had/have no interest in that lifestyle. My point was that plenty of 15/16 year olds don’t throw parties and do drugs when left alone, and it’s legal to live independently as a 16 year old so it’s not outside the realms of possibility that a 15 year old would be able to handle 10 days alone.

Bookworm20 · 05/06/2023 12:58

For a 15 year old with minimal duties, for 10 days, why not offer them £100? Thats £10 a day and I know my 15 yo would of snapped your hand off for a hundred quid feeding the cat and evening chill outs watching tv. I think £20 a day is too much for that and as you said, they don't need to be there much at all. Maybe 15 an hour max.

Maddy70 · 05/06/2023 13:04

RichardsGear · 04/06/2023 08:19

How well do you know this kid?! I'd be thinking,
a) party central,
b) gf/bf around every night with the lure of an empty house and big bed,
and/or
c) them rootling through all our stuff and having a good nose round.

Maybe I'm just cynical.

Yup this.

I was a sensible teen who anyone would have trusted.

I would have done all the above then

Can't they just come in and gred the cat? Why do they have to stay?

I'm not sure on any level I would have a 15 yr old alone overnight in the house

BirdChirp · 05/06/2023 13:06

They won't be insured to be in your house all the time. There is no way I would let a 15 year old live in my house for 10 days.

My nervous rescue cat needs company if I'm away more than 5 days so I use Trusted Housesitters - no payment except to join the site. Less than 5 days I pay a cat sitter to pop in to feed her etc twice a day, £10 per visit.

HAF1119 · 05/06/2023 13:20

£20 a night sounds fine :)

Riapia · 05/06/2023 13:23

Will they not get lonely by themselves ?
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😉

MrsElf · 05/06/2023 13:44

I did similar for one of my teachers at 15. There were several dogs, a cat and A LOT of houseplants, but I got £300 for a fortnight and felt so rich! No boyfriend or parties, but they’d said friends were welcome so we had 3/4 dinners and I hosted two sleepovers. The rest of the time I was by myself and yeah, played house! Loved it!

MyTruthIsOut · 05/06/2023 15:20

MrsElf · 05/06/2023 13:44

I did similar for one of my teachers at 15. There were several dogs, a cat and A LOT of houseplants, but I got £300 for a fortnight and felt so rich! No boyfriend or parties, but they’d said friends were welcome so we had 3/4 dinners and I hosted two sleepovers. The rest of the time I was by myself and yeah, played house! Loved it!

For one of your teachers?!?!

Surely there’s some boundary crossing there?!

JT12 · 05/06/2023 18:11

I would never have a 15 year old look after my house and pet got 20 days. Either lock up your house and board your cat or get a responsible person to house sit and look after the cat. A neighbour going in every day to feed and water the cat would be much more reasonable as an alternative in my opinion. It’s too much responsibility for a 15 year old and things can go wrong

XelaM · 05/06/2023 18:22

It’s too much responsibility for a 15 year old and things can go wrong

Too much responsibility for a 15-year-old to feed a cat?!? Are people on this thread serious 😳 and I'm sure the cat would prefer to stay home than to be put in a cattery. But some posters seem to confuse 15 with 5.

How can it be too much responsibility for a 15-year-old to earn some extra money feeding the neighbours' cat?!? A 9-year-old could feed a cat!!

ohsuzannah · 05/06/2023 18:47

I used to cat sit 4 cats, I was paid £25 a day.

CoffeeBean5 · 05/06/2023 18:51

XelaM · 05/06/2023 18:22

It’s too much responsibility for a 15 year old and things can go wrong

Too much responsibility for a 15-year-old to feed a cat?!? Are people on this thread serious 😳 and I'm sure the cat would prefer to stay home than to be put in a cattery. But some posters seem to confuse 15 with 5.

How can it be too much responsibility for a 15-year-old to earn some extra money feeding the neighbours' cat?!? A 9-year-old could feed a cat!!

Feeding a cat is fine for £10 a day. That only entails someone dropping by for an hour. However, 15 years old is too young to house sit for 10 days. They could bring their friends round or be peer pressured into it once others are aware of an adult free house. The teen could hurt themselves or flood the bathroom etc.

DetectiveDouche · 05/06/2023 19:06

Times have changed for sure! When I was 15 I used to babysit 4 kids on my own in their house for long weekends. Feeding them, bathing them, amusing them, taking them out, being responsible for them.. I know that’s not ten days but.. 4 kids…!.. between 1 and 7.

No-one batted an eyelid.. and my mum was massively overprotective compared to all my friend’s mums back then

DetectiveDouche · 05/06/2023 19:09

XelaM · 05/06/2023 18:22

It’s too much responsibility for a 15 year old and things can go wrong

Too much responsibility for a 15-year-old to feed a cat?!? Are people on this thread serious 😳 and I'm sure the cat would prefer to stay home than to be put in a cattery. But some posters seem to confuse 15 with 5.

How can it be too much responsibility for a 15-year-old to earn some extra money feeding the neighbours' cat?!? A 9-year-old could feed a cat!!

Yes I must admit I thought the same! They are basically only responsible for themselves… and cats.. and can call family if help or advice needed for anything. And perhaps could have a friend round?

There must be a generation of snowflakes being raised in some houses…

Toomuchtrouble4me · 05/06/2023 19:23

My dd did this for neighbour to look after cat and dog but bought her own food. She was 19 and a student. They paid £100 a night. London.

Airspice · 05/06/2023 19:24

I agree! My daughter is 15 and very sensible but I still won’t leave her (and her sister, 14) overnight without an adult in the house, let alone 10 nights! And I can’t believe the teens parents are allowing it. However to answer the question, I’d say £15-20 a night 😄

Toomuchtrouble4me · 05/06/2023 19:28

CoffeeBean5 · 05/06/2023 18:51

Feeding a cat is fine for £10 a day. That only entails someone dropping by for an hour. However, 15 years old is too young to house sit for 10 days. They could bring their friends round or be peer pressured into it once others are aware of an adult free house. The teen could hurt themselves or flood the bathroom etc.

Show quote history

I’ve hurt myself and flooded bathrooms. I’m not a teen. Presumably they kniw and trust the sitter. However to leave your home and creature comforts for 10 days? £20 a day is nowhere near enough - and how will you leave enough food for 10days?
I think £50 per day absolute minimum and more for food.