To think this is a ridiculous price?

[VibesCurator]

First time getting a housesitter for my 2 dogs as a family member who used to watch them moved away. I got quoted £40 total per day by a sitter, AIBU for thinking this is ridiculous?

I'm not boarding them, the sitter would be staying in my house using my gas and electric. I have replied to them as much, but now that I am looking around at more sitters, it seems like an average price. How much does everyone else pay?

I've never used a dog sitter/ house sitter so never looked at pricing but I assumed it would be like £200 or something £40 is well cheap. I wouldn't work for someone for 24hrs for £40

Yes, probably they are. Cultural norms are different in different parts of the world and the cultural context is different too. We have a huge housing crisis here and endemic homelessness. I'm afraid I wouldn't invite someone to come and stay in my home who was basically itinerant. It's less a lifestyle choice more a chronic problem in the uk.
ETA the review system helps of course, but the concern would remain.

No, she's calling you cheap.

Why not put them in kennels instead?

In my area house sitters charge £25 for 24hours. I’ve never questioned if that’s per dog as haven’t had to use them (we’ve got 3 dogs) but a friend with one dog had a sitter stay and that’s what she was charged. I suspect it’s per dog thinking about it because my friend said she was glad she just had the one.

That’s hilarious. £40 a day is a gift. I can’t think of anything worse than spending a week or more in someone else’s house, looking after their dogs. I did it for DS once and it nearly killed me flipping between his house to look after his pets and mine, doing my jobs at home, getting back to his to walk the dog, then leaving my cats so his dog wasn’t on its own for too long.

I definitely wouldn’t do it in a strange house, a strange bed and strange pets. Cuddling someone else’s dogs isn’t something I see as being a trade off for crap pay.

The sitter has to be at your house for the entire period...not in her own home conducting her life, but at your house.
You have to pay someone for their time. It's not a cuddlefest...it's her actual time.

You're unrealistic.

I think you're missing a point in comparing them with boarding. Boarders can take multiple dogs (ours will have 4 at a time plus her own dog when full). The sitter at your house will only be able to look after your dog. I know of a sitter who charges £60 in my area.

I would expect £20 per dog. That’s not a lot of money that person is earning if sat in your house all day. If they were walking the dogs and then going off and coming back, that’s different. If they’re in your home for 8 hrs, that’s £5 an hour. If you don’t like it - don’t ask them to look after your dog.

She’s not calling you broke, she’s calling you tight! 😀

Trusted house sitters, I think it’s £150 a year to join and no money changes hands, the sitters enjoy a free house and you get care for house and animals. I’ve not done this but friends have. We’ve used people we know to house/pet sit who’ve done it for free (we have a lovely house and one cat) for opportunity to stay in our house which is in a very nice location.

Jeez you attach a very low value to dog sitters time. Absolute bargain

No they are calling you a penny pinching tight squeaking bod

and they don’t want to work for you, as it’ll be more trouble than it’s worth

I don’t own dogs but think for a full 24 hours work, £40 is nothing at all. I know you’re saying it’s just a walk twice a day but you’re asking someone be away from their own home and routines to work for you in your home for a full day. You don’t know what she has to organise in her own home to make this work pay.

Finding available dog sitters and boarders in my area is like searching for hen’s teeth. She can charge what she likes because she knows there is demand for her services. It will be no skin off her nose at all that you think she is too expensive as she will likely fill her calendar very easily.

Seems about standard pricing really for sitting services. Good luck finding cheaper unless you go for someone with no experience and likely questionable standards! You should probably invest in some manners though as telling someone there’s basically no real work or monetary value involved it their job is extraordinarily unpleasant and rude.

Do you work for £40 per day OP? Is it not reasonable for someone to value their time and sell that time accordingly?

If this is how someone earns their living, what do you expect?

One visit here 45 minutes is £30.
So I wouldn't complain to pay a bit more for 24/7.

Very reasonable! I pay £100 per 24 hours a lot of (good) agencies are far more. You are trusting someone with your house and your animals you get what you pay for in life! The good agencies have a contract and a clause that the sitters are only allowed off site (without dogs) for 3 hours in every 24hours. Worth every penny for peace of mind.

Also it is IMPOSSIBLE to find good sitters, unless you have cameras everywhere (we do) you might be surprised as to what actually happens whilst you are away eg dogs not exercised properly. Why are people so mean with money honestly it is one of the most important jobs and I think £100 per 24 hours is actually very very reasoable for the responsibility entailed.

I agree. It’s astonishing.

Haha our kennels can take 70 dogs at a time and 2 dogs sharing a kennel is £40 per day. That sitter was a bargain.

someone on our local facebook page is advertising £50 a day for cat or dog sitting. £15 an hour for group dog walks.

Sounds like your are broke. Absolutely embarrassing to be quibbling over £40 to look after your beloved pets and house.

Housesitters.co.uk have free house sitters.

We spent a great 2.5 years recently with Trusted House Sitters. We looked after around 40 dogs, cats, chickens, and bees.

The only thing it cost us (and “pet parents”) was the THS membership fees (included insurance).

We did this rather than renting somewhere to live whilst we looked for a
house to buy after taking early retirement. We had a fantastic time staying in some gorgeous places (we were very fussy about the “sits” we responded to) and made some great friends along the way. We’ve since been back to look after a number of the same beasts and houses.

We only had one less than perfect sit where the owner was slightly “eccentric” but luckily we never had to meet her. The pets, however, were gorgeous and no trouble at all.

OP sounds tight as a gnat’s ass and would probably try and charge THS sitter for gas/electricity/water etc.