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?

That’s cheap, I’m in Yorkshire and I’d say that’s the going rate

Sorry to ask but how old are you? This just sounds like something my mother would complain about who has no idea of the cost of modern services…

I can't think of many people who would want to work for £40 a 24 hr day plus room and board.

The manual labour is minimal; the work consists of being away from their own environment and ensuring that your dogs are safe.

She's calling you a skinflint, I'm guessing.

No @VibesCurator, she's calling you cheap.

She's rightly calling you an entitled prat who thinks people should work for you for tiny amounts of money and be grateful.

Frankly, who cares that she's using your gas and electricity. She could says she's using gas or bus fair to get to your home. Personally, I'm still running a houshold whether I'm there or not so that wouldn't represent any savings to me.

No she’s calling you tight fisted.

Yabvvvvu
think long and hard about who you trust to look after your precious dogs and house with all your stuff in it.

you are wrong re the £40. I think that’s cheap.

DH and I recently travelled abroad for 7 weeks, leaving our 4 cats with a house/cat sitter. The deal here is that it costs neither owner nor sitter anything, other that the electric/gas/firewood, paid by the owner. Rent is astronomical in our holiday town, and the sitter is delighted to have free housing. It would be unthinkable to pay a fee on top of free housing/holiday.

and delusional.

Yes, or just mean.

Yes that's really unreasonable, you need to pay them more.

I would respond the same!

Would you work a whole day for £40?!

YABVU

OP, the dog sitter isn’t calling you broke. But you did call them overpriced without having an idea for what dog siting services cost more generally. They have replied professionally to what they probably felt was an insulting attempt ar negotiating on their fee. It’s clear you don’t see the value in dog walker or dog sitting services from your replies. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was also abundantly clear to the dog sitter.

I'm in NZ and use sites that match up people looking for somewhere to stay with people needing a house/pet sitter. Cost? $0.

People have somewhere to stay and I have someone to look after the dog in her own environment. Everyone wins. There's a sector of the population that moves from housesit to housesit. Both home owners and housesitters are reviewed. There are similar sites in Aus - used the same way by DSis. Minor problems with backpackers (using data, or eating food) so I avoid them now but that's it.

Haha yes
I don't have a sitter in my house, I have a couple of sitters through rover who look after my dog in their own homes when I go away. They charge about £30 a day and that's on the cheap end. I doubt you'll find anyone who'd look after 2 dogs anywhere for under £40 a day.

That’s the going rate.

That isn't really a thing in the uk. I'm afraid I would assume anyone who wants to do this in exchange for somewhere to stay was having housing issues and the whole situation would be far too risky for me. Letting a stranger stay for free in your house and care for your dog in exchange for somewhere to stay is taking too much on trust. At least a dog sitter comes with reviews.

She is saying this is the price, good luck finding someone cheaper. Can’t believe you expect someone to do it for £20 a night.

I second trustedhousesitters.com — I have had brilliant sitters from all over the world that want to experience England on a budget, that stay in my house for free in exchange for pet care. I’ve got a cat but there are lots that prefer dogs, etc. Worth checking out.

No, she's calling you financially tight. I think she's correct.

They do come with reviews 😁 - and you can select/filter/interview from there. I’ve had people from the UK, Switzerland, and NZ previously. Some people seem to travel the world, moving from housesit to housesit.

Though of course it’s possible that people are more trusting, and more open, at this end of the world 😁