This is my borrowed dog, Chico. He belongs to my landlord but he sleeps with me. He always finds the most comfortable spot in my house. Do you think he has enough pillows? Makes me think of the Princess and the Pea fairy tale. I am going to miss him when I go to the States.I don't know much about the subject of housesitting but I will tell you some things I have learned the hard way.
Over a year ago I got the bright idea of becoming a housesitter. My loving dog of thirteen years had died just before I was planning on bringing her with me to Mexico. It was extremely painful for me, as anyone who has ever loved an animal knows. I decided then to never have another animal. I don't want to go through the grieving again. Also, I love to travel and that is extremely difficult and expensive to do with a dog. The airlines have raised their prices and some charge as much for an animal to fly as for a person. And sometimes the animals don't make it alive to the end of the flight. It is hard on them. When I left my dog at home I always missed her and also I worried about if she was getting proper care. I knew she missed me, too. So I had a lot of guilt about leaving her home. Having an animal is kind of like having a child that never grows up.
When I came to the Lakeside area I talked with people about house and dogsitting. I met two people here who are professionals. They have been doing it for years. They both were helpful and gave me lots of advice. Sometimes, even now, I will e mail my friend and ask him about a job. He always gives me good advice but most of the time I don't take it and then regret it afterwards. He also passes along jobs to me. I appreciate that too. Sometimes I return the favor.
At first I was extremely idealistic. Oh boy, I thought, what a great job. I can live in beautiful homes for free and have animals to love too. I missed dogs in my life. It would be the perfect solution.
Now, one year later, I have other thoughts to add to the idealism. Yes, house and dog sitting is still a great way to go in my mind. But now I also have some experience and other considerations.
First consideration is about these online housesitting sites. Be very careful. I spent a lot of time reading through them. Of all the ads I saw online, not one offered to pay for your time. And many people even asked for a lot of free labor on top of the housesitting. I have seen ads where they want someone to run a Bed and Breakfast, clean it and take care of everything, all for no pay. I have seen ads where they want free labor to repair their places, build them or work on their farms. The demands seem endless. No pay.....
The other thing about the online sites is the cost of signing up. I know of one that now charges almost thirty dollars a year if you are a housesitter. Free if you need a housesitter. But there are about ten times more people wanting to housesit than there are places to sit. That gives the people wanting help a huge advantage.
I have found that most people who want a housesitter do not hire sight unseen. They want references from friends they trust. After all, they are leaving their houses and loved animals and they worry. I would worry too. I know a woman who left her house in the care of her sister's boyfriend and when she came home, he had stolen everything that wasn't too large to fit into his truck.
Another consideration is how much you value your life and your time. Sure it is great to live for free in a beautiful home but if the owners have burdened you with too much work, your life will quickly go downhill. I had one person ask me to do the gardening, cleaning, dog walking and paying all the bills. The pay was less than a hundred and fifty dollars a month. Between all the work I wouldn't have had any time to myself. I was blinded by the nice home. Later on I thought more about it and I realized that I wouldn't be happy in the job.
The going rate of pay here is fifteen dollars a day for one animal. Some housesitters charge twenty for one and then five dollars extra per animal after that. It costs twenty dollars per day per animal just to have them boarded out. Some people think that just because they have a beautiful home, the housesitter should be happy with no pay. Many people will do it for nothing. But keep in mind that once you take a job, you no longer have much freedom. I am big on freedom. If the job lasts for several months, then you can't go anywhere for that length of time. You have to walk the dogs twice a day and take them to the vet or the dog groomer. You are responsible for their lives. That can be a heavy burden. I think a job like that is also worth some pay.
I always fall in love with the animals and when I leave I miss them. I hadn't thought about that when I started this job. You can't just intrude on the lives of the owners after you leave. When the job is over, you leave the animals you have loved too.
Consider this: if the maid doesn't do her job, the owners most likely will blame you, the housesitter, for the place not being in tip top shape when they return. No matter that the job of cleaning was up to the maid. People here have very strong ties to their maids. You will most likely be the one who gets the flack even though the maid has taken many days off. The owner will keep the maid and fire you. No good reference there and references are everything in this business. Also, I have found that the housesitter is usually considered on the same social level as the rest of the hired help. You will most likely not even be treated as well as their maids and gardeners because you are only temporary. And don't expect to be invited to their social functions when they return. You are the hired help!
Some people are wonderful. They are generous and caring. Others will try to get as much as they can from you for as little as possible. Since I am not a very aggressive person, I don't stand up for myself enough in the initial negotiations. Maybe I am not cut out for the job. Or maybe I have let my idealism get in the way. I am learning.
Last consideration. The financial crisis is also here. Fewer people are taking trips and that means fewer housesitters are wanted. And then there are many housesitters who will do it for free. They maybe just need a place to stay. I have my own place. I am happy here too. I will only do jobs from now on that I really want. I may not have any other jobs but I will be happy. After all, even at the top pay, housesitting doesn't pay much. For me, it was a way to borrow dogs to love. You can see from the photo that I already have one borrowed dog. I hope these thoughts will be helpful to anyone considering a future in dog and housesitting.
Over a year ago I got the bright idea of becoming a housesitter. My loving dog of thirteen years had died just before I was planning on bringing her with me to Mexico. It was extremely painful for me, as anyone who has ever loved an animal knows. I decided then to never have another animal. I don't want to go through the grieving again. Also, I love to travel and that is extremely difficult and expensive to do with a dog. The airlines have raised their prices and some charge as much for an animal to fly as for a person. And sometimes the animals don't make it alive to the end of the flight. It is hard on them. When I left my dog at home I always missed her and also I worried about if she was getting proper care. I knew she missed me, too. So I had a lot of guilt about leaving her home. Having an animal is kind of like having a child that never grows up.
When I came to the Lakeside area I talked with people about house and dogsitting. I met two people here who are professionals. They have been doing it for years. They both were helpful and gave me lots of advice. Sometimes, even now, I will e mail my friend and ask him about a job. He always gives me good advice but most of the time I don't take it and then regret it afterwards. He also passes along jobs to me. I appreciate that too. Sometimes I return the favor.
At first I was extremely idealistic. Oh boy, I thought, what a great job. I can live in beautiful homes for free and have animals to love too. I missed dogs in my life. It would be the perfect solution.
Now, one year later, I have other thoughts to add to the idealism. Yes, house and dog sitting is still a great way to go in my mind. But now I also have some experience and other considerations.
First consideration is about these online housesitting sites. Be very careful. I spent a lot of time reading through them. Of all the ads I saw online, not one offered to pay for your time. And many people even asked for a lot of free labor on top of the housesitting. I have seen ads where they want someone to run a Bed and Breakfast, clean it and take care of everything, all for no pay. I have seen ads where they want free labor to repair their places, build them or work on their farms. The demands seem endless. No pay.....
The other thing about the online sites is the cost of signing up. I know of one that now charges almost thirty dollars a year if you are a housesitter. Free if you need a housesitter. But there are about ten times more people wanting to housesit than there are places to sit. That gives the people wanting help a huge advantage.
I have found that most people who want a housesitter do not hire sight unseen. They want references from friends they trust. After all, they are leaving their houses and loved animals and they worry. I would worry too. I know a woman who left her house in the care of her sister's boyfriend and when she came home, he had stolen everything that wasn't too large to fit into his truck.
Another consideration is how much you value your life and your time. Sure it is great to live for free in a beautiful home but if the owners have burdened you with too much work, your life will quickly go downhill. I had one person ask me to do the gardening, cleaning, dog walking and paying all the bills. The pay was less than a hundred and fifty dollars a month. Between all the work I wouldn't have had any time to myself. I was blinded by the nice home. Later on I thought more about it and I realized that I wouldn't be happy in the job.
The going rate of pay here is fifteen dollars a day for one animal. Some housesitters charge twenty for one and then five dollars extra per animal after that. It costs twenty dollars per day per animal just to have them boarded out. Some people think that just because they have a beautiful home, the housesitter should be happy with no pay. Many people will do it for nothing. But keep in mind that once you take a job, you no longer have much freedom. I am big on freedom. If the job lasts for several months, then you can't go anywhere for that length of time. You have to walk the dogs twice a day and take them to the vet or the dog groomer. You are responsible for their lives. That can be a heavy burden. I think a job like that is also worth some pay.
I always fall in love with the animals and when I leave I miss them. I hadn't thought about that when I started this job. You can't just intrude on the lives of the owners after you leave. When the job is over, you leave the animals you have loved too.
Consider this: if the maid doesn't do her job, the owners most likely will blame you, the housesitter, for the place not being in tip top shape when they return. No matter that the job of cleaning was up to the maid. People here have very strong ties to their maids. You will most likely be the one who gets the flack even though the maid has taken many days off. The owner will keep the maid and fire you. No good reference there and references are everything in this business. Also, I have found that the housesitter is usually considered on the same social level as the rest of the hired help. You will most likely not even be treated as well as their maids and gardeners because you are only temporary. And don't expect to be invited to their social functions when they return. You are the hired help!
Some people are wonderful. They are generous and caring. Others will try to get as much as they can from you for as little as possible. Since I am not a very aggressive person, I don't stand up for myself enough in the initial negotiations. Maybe I am not cut out for the job. Or maybe I have let my idealism get in the way. I am learning.
Last consideration. The financial crisis is also here. Fewer people are taking trips and that means fewer housesitters are wanted. And then there are many housesitters who will do it for free. They maybe just need a place to stay. I have my own place. I am happy here too. I will only do jobs from now on that I really want. I may not have any other jobs but I will be happy. After all, even at the top pay, housesitting doesn't pay much. For me, it was a way to borrow dogs to love. You can see from the photo that I already have one borrowed dog. I hope these thoughts will be helpful to anyone considering a future in dog and housesitting.
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