Housesitter Over The Holidays Top Tips

If, like me, you worry about what to leave the housesitter over the holidays, remember the golden rule: make it warm and cozy. Whether they celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, or nothing at all, it’s their holiday too.

What to Leave the Housesitter Over The Holidays: Make it Cozy

Sometimes a little effort on behalf of the homeowner goes a very long way. However, a quick conversation with your sitter before you go will establish whether you actually need to spend time preparing your home with decorations and special treats. It may not matter to them, so it is always best to find out first.

How to Prepare Your Home for a Holiday Housesitter

Heading away for the holidays is exciting, but leaving your home and pets behind can sometimes feel daunting—especially if, like me, you are used to staying at home with family for the festive season. Enter the holiday hero: your housesitter! Having a trustworthy house sitter step in over Christmas and the New Year offers incredible peace of mind.

However, it’s worth remembering that your housesitter is spending their holiday away from their own home. Adding a few festive, thoughtful touches alongside the usual practicalities can make them feel truly welcome. If you are preparing for a holiday pet sitter, here is a quick guide on what to leave them.

1. The Practical Holiday Essentials

The festive period often disrupts normal local routines, so clear information about your pet’s support system—i.e., vet surgery contacts, dog behaviourist, dog walkers, etc.—is more important than ever. It is more important that ever to prepare a brief for your housesitter over the holidays. For example not all international housesitters will be familiar with a local custom such as the British bank holiday of ‘Boxing Day‘.

• Take Them Shopping Before You Leave: This is especially important if you are offering a rural housesit. Help the housesitter get set up with heavy groceries or essentials before you depart.

• Holiday Schedules: Leave a note detailing the revised opening times for local supermarkets, pharmacies, and your emergency vet. Shops often close entirely on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, so your sitter needs to know when they can stock up.
• Winter Weather Prep: Make sure they know how to boost the heating or adjust the thermostat. If freezing weather is expected, point out where you keep the grit, snow shovels, and a torch in case of a winter power cut. Ensure they also have access to any solid fuel (like logs or coal) if that is what they need to keep warm while housesitting for you.
• Bin Collections: Refuse and recycling collection days almost always change over the holidays. Leave a clear note or a printout from the local council on exactly when the bins need to go out.

2. A Festive Welcome Basket

Arriving at a new sit just before the holidays is a busy experience. And while I want to emphasise you certainly don’t need to go over the top with a Dickensian Christmas extravaganza, providing a small and thoughtful welcome basket is a wonderful Housesit Match tradition we like to encourage that makes a brilliant first impression for your housesitter over the holidays.

• The Basics: Make sure there is fresh milk, bread, butter, tea, and coffee so they don’t have to rush to the shops the moment they arrive.
• Holiday Treats: Elevate the basket with seasonal favourites like mince pies, a box of chocolates, or some festive biscuits.
• A Small Gift: Leaving a thoughtful holiday card and a small token of appreciation—such as a bottle of wine, a nice candle, or some luxury hot chocolate—makes your sitter feel like a valued friend rather than just a guest.

3. Cozy Comforts and Decorations

Chat with your sitter in advance about decorations. Most sitters love the festive ambiance, so leaving your Christmas tree up and fairy lights twinkling is usually a huge bonus. But not all sitters care for festive decorations in the home—which can save you a task ahead of leaving for your holiday!

• Winter Warmth: Leave out plenty of thick throw blankets, hot water bottles, and extra firewood or kindling if you have a log burner.
• Holiday Entertainment: Write down the Wi-Fi password clearly and leave instructions for the TV. Setting up a “Guest” profile on your streaming services allows them to binge their favourite holiday movies without messing up your algorithms.

4. Local Festive Highlights

Your sitter might be completely new to your area, so share some local seasonal secrets. Recommend a cozy country pub with a roaring fire for a holiday drink, the best street in the neighbourhood for looking at lights, or a beautiful, crisp Boxing Day walking route for the dogs.

Local festivals and cultural activities are often highlighted in local magazines and noticeboards. Make sure you leave these in your briefing for the sitter.

A Cozy Conclusion For You and Your Housesitter Over the Holidays

Preparing your home for a holiday housesitter doesn’t take much extra effort, but it makes a world of difference.

Whether you agree with the sitter that a little sparkle is in order to make your home feel festive, or you decide simply to ensure their space is warm, practical, and welcoming, talk to them first. By leaving these thoughtful touches, you ensure your sitter has a wonderful season—allowing you to fully relax, knowing your home and pets are in very happy hands.

FURTHER READING

For those of you now interested or engaged in housesitting and pet sitting, take a look at these other articles prepared by our community Such as this one on what to leave a housesitter over the holidays. We hope you find them useful!

• The Ultra Rural House Sits – 12 Top Tips
• What is Housesitting?
• First Time Housesitters – A New Adevnture
• Preparing a Home for a House or Pet Sitter
• Housesitting Abroad – Europe