A Complete Guide to House and Pet Sitting Checklist and Instructions
READY TO BE PREPARED FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP USING YOUR HOUSE AND PET SITTING CHECKLIST?
When planning a trip, ensuring your home and pets are cared for while you are gone can be a big task to set up before your vacation. Use this guide and house and pet sitting checklists to help create instructions for your house and pet sitter.
You will feel confident traveling knowing that everything is taken care of while you are on your adventure and having fun!
House and Pet Sitting Checklist
I recommend keeping these lists and details in a folder so they are ready for each trip and you aren’t starting over.
Having a file online to make quick changes may be helpful as well, then easily print off the new list for your sitter.
How To Write Pet Sitting Instructions
Giving your house and pet sitter as many details as possible will ensure they feel confident caring for your pet and being able to provide it with everything it needs while you are gone. Plus, they will be prepared for a situation or emergency. You can enjoy your trip knowing everything will be handled.
🐾 When creating the instructions:
- Use the free checklist to help you create your house and pet care instructions
- You can create them in a document; I use Word, and you can easily make changes
- Since it’s an electronic document, you can email or text the instructions ahead of time
- You can also leave a physical copy on the counter in an obvious spot
- You can add additional handwritten notes if I think of anything last minute since I printed out the hard copy
- You will only need to make adjustments for future trips; the first document will take the longest because of the details
How To Prepare a House For House-Sitting
When planning a trip, ensuring your home and pets are cared for while you are gone can be a big task to set up before your vacation.
We want to make sure house sitters feel right at home. We want them to feel welcome and cared for because you are building a relationship with your house and dog sitter that can be a long-term relationship.
You don’t want to keep finding a new person. Vetting your house sitter well, whether it’s a family member, friend, or someone you hired through a house or pet sitting app, will help you feel confident that they are qualified and that you feel as comfortable as they do.
Once they are hired, you want to be able to retain them. This will save you time and prevent you from having to start the process all over.
Part of that is making your home clean and comfortable so the house sitter feels a little like they are on vacation, too.
22 Questions You Can Ask A House And Pet Sitter
Having answers to questions and being on the same page with the person staying or caring for your house and pets will help you have a relaxing vacation and not worry about what is happening at home.
By providing your expectations, you can decide which sitter best suits you and your needs. Ifupposed you have a family or friend helping you with house and pet sitting, your questions can be adjusted. You may not need to ask all these questions; pick the ones important to you.
🐾 22 Questions to Ask House Sitter
1.Can you tell me about your experience with house and pet sitting?
2. Do you have references from previous clients?
3. Are you comfortable handling specific tasks like mail, plant care, or garbage?
4. What would your daily routine look like while you’re house-sitting?
5. What would your daily routine look like while you’re house-sitting?
6. How often would you check in with me during your stay?
7. How do you prefer to communicate (e.g., text, email, phone)?
8. How do you plan to ensure the security of my home?
9. Are you comfortable with keeping the house cleaned up during your stay?
10. What would you do if you noticed something unusual in the house, like a leak or something that stopped working?
11. What are your rates and payment terms?
12. How do you handle last-minute requests or changes in schedule?
🐾 Questions to Ask Pet Sitter
13. What experience do you have with the types of pets I have?
14. How often will you take my pet out for walks or playtime?
15. What activities do you plan to engage my pet in?
16. How do you handle a pet that is anxious or uncomfortable with strangers?
17. Are you comfortable sending daily photos or messages?
18. Are you familiar with administering medication or special care needs for pets?
19. How would you handle a situation where a pet acts unusually or seems unwell?
20. Are you trained in pet first aid or CPR?
21. How would you handle a pet emergency?
22. Are there any additional fees I should know (such as extra pets and overnight stays)?
Setting Up Your Vacation Help
I highly recommend you hire your help well in advance before your trip. If you want to have a regular house or pet sitter, they may book up quickly. As soon as you have something planned, call and book. I have even called my house sitter before I plan my trip to see if they are available, so I can either tweak the days I’m planning if I have that flexibility, or find someone else to help me.
If you use a service where there is a pool of sitters, you have more flexibility for planning.
🐕 You may not even have a trip planned yet, but you can still find a sitter in advance so you know who to call once you do.
🐕 Have more than one option for a house and pet sitter in case they are booked during your trip. I have worked around a sitter’s schedule, so I knew I was covered.
🐕 When I say in advance, I mean a month or more. Some house and pet sitters are booked out for months.
🐕 If your pet is okay with going to a pet hotel or kennel, maybe that would be a good backup. Research your neighborhood, read reviews online, like on Yelp or Nextdoor, and ask for and visit in person before you use a pet hotel or kennel.
🐕 Get a confirmation from whoever you choose, so you know you are all set for your vacation. Then, talk about the next steps.
🐕 Do you want them to visit your pets and house before your trip? If you continue with the same house and pet sitter, you only have to do this once.
⬇️ Grab Your Checklist By Clicking Below ⬇️
Getting Ready to Leave the House for a Trip
Now that you have chosen the perfect house and pet sitter and your day of travel has arrived, it is time for the sitter to take over.
Two ways you can do this transition:
🐈 A) Leave once the sitter arrives. You ensure they have everything, including the key and last-minute details.
🐈 B)The sitter can arrive soon after you leave to help make the transition with pets easier.
If a family member is helping you, ensure you are clear with expectations, just like you would hire someone. You want to ensure you can relax on your trip and know everything will be handled.
Things You Can Leave for House and Pet Sitter
These are a few things I have done. I mention in advance or write on the note sheet any extras for them or what they are welcome to do. Some people bring their own food or have a special diet, so I only leave very general items they are welcome to.
Do what works best for you. Once you get to know your sitter more, or if it’s a family member, you know what they may enjoy if you leave some treats for them while they stay at your home.
🐾 A thank you note
🐾 Fresh fruit and drinks in the fridge
🐾 Sweet treats
🐾 What else could you leave?
Final Thoughts on House and Pet Sitting Preparation
I recommend to start as soon as possible to find the right house and pet sitter to help you while you are on vacation. Using the house and pet sitting checklist provided will make it an easier task knowing that you have asked all the important questions, set good bounddaries, and your help feels they are well cared for just like how they will care for your home and pet.
This is an excellent opportunity to find someone who can help you during trips and if you ever need extra help in other situations. Have a fantastic trip!
