Blog Post Categories
Getting Ready for a House Sitter – Top Tips
If you are planning to travel and you are a pet owner you will likely need pet minding and to get ready for a house sitter. Read on to learn how to prepare for your sitters.
How to Get Ready for a House Sitter

Photo by Ata Ebem
If you want to make sure that your house remains safe and well maintained when you go on a long vacation, then hiring a house sitter is an excellent idea. But how to get ready for a house sitter?
Whether you’re planning a weekend escape or you want an extended vacation under your belt, then having sufficient preparation allows you a smooth experience for you and for the setup.
From communicating essential information to make them feel happy and welcome to replacing that old three seater sofa with something brand new, you want to make sure that their entire experience is one of comfort. Let’s take a look at a short checklist of what you could be doing to prepare for a house setter before you go on your next adventure.

Photo by Sydney Sang
- Start with your house being cleaned. You can hire a cleaner for this, but it’s nice to have the house cleaned before a house sitter comes along. You don’t have to deep clean every single space, but it’s nice to Polish it up so that it looks tidy and feels comfortable. Clearing clutter from their areas that the sitter will have access to, including the room that they’re staying in, is a good start. The garage, for example, may not be on top of your cleaning priority list, but if they have a car, you may want to give it a clear out to make space.
- Stock up on the essentials. Toilet paper, hand soap, any non perishable pan triggers that you’re happy for them to use are all things that you should be stocking up on before a sitter comes to stay. Your house sitter shouldn’t be left without anything important and if you’re staying for an extended period of time, they’re likely to get their own groceries, but having some non-perishables around can help. If you want to go the extra mile then pop a basket of some perishable items that you’re happy for them to use on the table as a welcome and thank you for looking after your home.
- Leave a manual. You should have a list of emergency contacts, the Wi-Fi name and password, as well as the router location, how to look after any pets or plants, and the schedule for trash. Having a house sitter means you’re paying somebody to look after your house, and that means also paying them to keep everything as maintained as possible if they have the right information and they know how to use it, this can help.

Photo by Vlada Karpovich
Final Thoughts on How to Get Ready for a House Sitter
Note the security system. You want your sitter to feel safe, which means that they need to know how to switch the alarm on and off for the house. There should also be a way for them to see what’s happening on any Ring cameras, and you should be able to let them know if there are any dangers in the area.
Providing an emergency contact list is also the bare minimum beyond the emergency ambulance or police to help you get ready for a house sitter.. Let them know if anybody else has a key to the house too because if anybody turns up you don’t want them to get a fright.
Looking for a reliable long-term housesitters?
For trusted house and petsitters who can care for your property and pets for long periods, join HouseSit Match. We offer checked long-term housesitters all over the world. No need to travel at length while worrying about your property; let our sitters give you the peace of mind you deserve!
To find your long-term housesitters through our trusted network register with HouseSit Match as a homeowner
To register as a Homeowner follow this link
If you have pet care and homecare experience and want to travel and experience a new location why not register as on HouseSit Match as a housesitter
To register as a House-sitter or Pet sitter follow this link
Further reading about housesitters
At Housesit Match we like to share useful blogs and practical advice about getting ready for a house sitter, finding the right housesitters, housesitting and pet sitting. We hope you find this small selection of our blogs on house sitters useful.
Housesitters keep pets safe at home and save money
What a housesitter does – Top 10 responsibilities






