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Travelling?
Who's looking after your home, gardens, pets?
Have a house sitter provide that "lived in" security
and pet / garden care while you're away.
What is House sitting
Who are house sitters
What do house sitters do
Security and references
Finding a house sitter
Registering as available to house sit
How much does it cost
How long before you get a sit
How long do sits last
Agreements
Our Disclaimer
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Housesitting has taken the world by storm in recent times
as a concept that is mutually beneficial to both the home owner and the
house sitter - The home owner gets their home, pets and gardens cared for
while they're away and the house sitter gains rent free accommodation in
return for minor household duties they would be doing wherever they lived.
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Housesitters are ordinary people
just like you - from all walks of life and available for all sorts of
reasons. Some are saving for a home, renovating their property, moving to a
new area, re-establishing their lives, travelling with their own pets or
wishing to save on motels or simply needing a break from the caravan while
touring. They range from young singles or couples to families to retirees,
from professionals to home makers and all offer something different - as the
home owners also have different and varying needs. No one "type" makes the
"perfect sitter" for every situation.
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The house sitter is
expected to look after the home owners home as if it
were their own - providing "lived-in" security, mowing lawns, maintaining
gardens, collecting and forwarding mail, caring for pets and generally
keeping the home neat and tidy.
House sitters would generally be responsible for their own food, telephone
and utility use. Whilst most agreements would be in exchange for free rent,
some sitters may offer more of a formal caretaker role or perform other
agreed extra duties in exchange for an agreed fee. This is totally up to the
home owner and the sitter and should be agreed to in writing before
commencing duties. (Remember, a house sitter is not expecting to work on
your property full time but is looking for a genuine "home" to live in, with
it's normal attendant responsibilities).
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Security
- Whilst a house sitter can provide lived-in security for your property
while you're away, it is the responsibility of the home owner to ensure
adequate home and contents insurance coverage is maintained.
It is also the home owners responsibility to check the bona fides of the
sitter. Apart from checking referees, an interview should be conducted and
prospective sitters introduced to your pets to check compatibility. This
would also be a good time to introduce your neighbours - this helps the
sitter learn the environment and feel more comfortable in strange
surroundings and, by bringing your friendly neighbours into the background,
acts as a semi backstop for both parties. Requesting a police clearance and
considering the lodgement of a bond is also a good idea.
See also "Agreements" below.
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Finding
prospective sitters - Home owners can peruse our database of available
sitters for FREE and make selections at the time they start looking. Simply
visit our site
www.housesitworld.com.au then click on "find a sitter". Select your
state, then your area to read about the sitters available. Should you not be
able to find anyone suitable, we will run your "sitter wanted" ad for free.
Please read our disclaimer below.
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Registering as available for housesitting. The wording of your ad needs
careful consideration as you will need to
convince the home
owner that you will be suitable to mind their home
while they are away - say
the obvious like, if you have experience, say so, if you can provide
references, have a history with animals or other desirable skills, say so.
Be honest, say a little about yourself, why you wish to be a house sitter
and why the home owner should choose you ahead of others available.
To register, visit our site
www.housesitworld.com.au
and follow the links to "register as a sitter", complete the registration
form and you will be included in our
on-line database for up to 12 months from receipt by us.
Home owners looking for a house
sitter will search the database and potentially contact you to
arrange an interview.
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How much does it
cost?
To find a house sitter is free.
To register as available for house sitting costs just $50- for a 12 month
listing - this one fee covers you for as many locations as you like in
Australia or even worldwide. Should you need to change your details, please
use our "change details" form on our site - there is no charge for this.
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How long
before you get a sit - we have had successes within 24 hours however the
average is some sort of response within 2-3 weeks - the earlier you register
as available, the greater your chances. All new listings are placed at the
top of each section however should you find your listing moving down without
initial success, let us know and we'll happily move you back to the top as
we want as many successful sitters as possible.
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How long do
sits last - we have had sitters gain positions lasting from 1 week to 3
years with the average being 2-3 months - most sits fall in the range 1-6
months.
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Agreements
- As every "sit" will differ, no one agreement can cover all situations.
The following is a basic agreement which may be used as a starting point.
You may "copy & paste" the following into your word processor or download an
MSWord version
here.
Agreements
(Suggested format only !)
Particularly for extended periods, we recommend seeing your
Solicitor
for drawing up an agreement to cover what is expected from each party.
A Solicitor can also provide a bond-holding service if required.
Your agreement should include the following:
Full names and addresses of parties.
Drivers licence details for identification
Dates of house sitting agreement
The Housesitter should arrive at an arranged time prior to the
client’s departure to receive final instructions from the client.
The Housesitter will have the client’s home ready to welcome him/her
upon return and report anything of importance occurred in his/her absence and account for
any expenditure.
The Housesitter will leave at a time convenient to you both.
The client’s home must not be left unoccupied for any unreasonable
amount of time – Specify.
Visitors are permitted however the Sitter is fully responsible for their
actions and any possible results of their actions.
The Housesitter is not allowed to have parties at the client’s
property – Specify.
Pets are to be attended to as agreed – Specify.
Home care and general maintenance standards – Specify.
If the Housesitter is taken seriously ill or for any other reason must
leave for the property for an extended period, he/she must contact the owner immediately.
The Housesitter must never undertake anything which may result in damage
to the client’s property. In case of a break down of any equipment which cannot
easily be mended he/she must call in a professional or follow the prior instructions of
the client. – Specify amount, preferred tradesmen, etc.
The Housesitter should only divulge the client’s whereabouts to
persons specified by the client or follow his/her guidelines in this respect.
The Housesitter will be expected to pay for any private phone calls made
during the stay. He/she must make a note of them.
The Housesitter must note and obtain receipts for any living and
household expenses incurred during the house sit. Expenses will otherwise not be
reimbursed. For extended terms, the housesitter would normally be responsible for power,
gas, etc.
The owner should notify the Housesitter of any damage to the property or
its contents prior to starting the assignment and he/she should make a note of same in
writing. Should the Housesitter be responsible for any breakage during his/her stay,
he/she will notify the owner.
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Disclaimer
housesit.directoryoz.com.au and housesitworld.com and
housesitworld.com.au
are internet sites run by
Home and House Sitting Worldwide
BN17779285
Home and House Sitting Worldwide
does not 'screen' anyone who lists with us.
We accept no responsibility of any kind
regarding the qualifications
or trustworthiness of anyone advertising on our Directory.
Whilst every effort will be made to ensure
accuracy in compiling this Directory,
it is the sole responsibility of the user to confirm
all information recorded.
Under no circumstances will Home and House Sitting Worldwide
or anyone associated with us be liable for any direct or indirect damages which may result
from any person
using this Directory.
Like all forms of advertising, we unfortunately cannot offer
any guarantees
of success and generally will not consider
granting refunds.
www.housesitworld.com.au
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