house sitting

[Scambone]

Note really a budget question but it is to do with money...

I have an older couple who hires me to house sit for them on the weekends. Usually they give me $50 bucks for me to stay at their house with two dogs from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. They would like to leave for a couple of weeks and was wondering what I would charge them. I never know what to say when people ask me that kind of question, especially when it requires me to stay for longer periods of time.

Some background info- Thier house isn't out of my way from my job. I always bring my own food and most of the time when I go home to check on my chinchillas I take my showers there. Would you stick to $25 a day?

 

[Darcy03231]

Note really a budget question but it is to do with money...

I have an older couple who hires me to house sit for them on the weekends. Usually they give me $50 bucks for me to stay at their house with two dogs from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. They would like to leave for a couple of weeks and was wondering what I would charge them. I never know what to say when people ask me that kind of question, especially when it requires me to stay for longer periods of time.

Some background info- Thier house isn't out of my way from my job. I always bring my own food and most of the time when I go home to check on my chinchillas I take my showers there. Would you stick to $25 a day?

No, not for that amount of time. I would say at least $350-$400 a week, and for that price they should include food/snacks. My brother has two dogs and I know he pays more than that the kennel his dogs for a week.

 

[hollypoast]

We pay our house sitter $25 per day to care for our dog (small, indoor) and 5 backyard chickens. If she doesn't stay over night she comes 3 times a day for a total of 2-3 hours to play with the dog, etc.

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

My mother does long term housesitting (2 weeks to 2 months at a time) and she charges $20 a day. Typically she only has one or two dogs that she watches and the houses have maids that come weekly even when she is there.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I had a house sitter/pet sitter. She was really mostly there to take care of our dog which was pretty easy because my dog was so low maintenance. She'd stay at the house, buy her own food but I'd have stuff in the fridge too. Anyway, I paid her $25/day.

 

[MichiganKris]

For two dogs I would say somewhere in the $25 to $35 a day range.

 

[Scambone]

Would asking for $200 a week be bad? Its $28.57 a day rather than $25 a day since I would be staying longer.

 

[TwoMisfits]

I'd ask for $200/week. That seems far and reasonable and if they ask why, you can always tell them that's what you'd need to be responsible for this task for that length of time (ie - you can't go out of town or take a weeknight trip somewhere while they are gone, so it's a greater inconvenience to you than just a weekend)...

 

[mom2alix]

$200 a week a very reasonable. I paid over $300 to kennel our dog over Christmas. I would be thrilled to find a trusted house sitter instead.

 

[kid-at-heart]

We pay our sitter $20 - $25 a day, depending on the time of year. She sleeps in our guest room and eats whatever we leave in the refrig or she brings her own food if she wants something special. In the winter we pay more ($25 per day) since she may have to deal with snow removal to get in and out of the driveway.

Our daughter (age 17) is paid $50 a week to do drop in dog care for several of our neighbors, she stops by 2-3 a day to let the dogs in and out. She is paid $20 a week for cat(s) care when all she needs to do drop by once a day to feed the cat(s) and clean the litter box. For both cats and dogs, she takes time to visit with the pets often bringing her homework and curling up with the dogs/cats.

Personally I think $200 a week is way too much for just staying at someone's house, feeding and letting their pets in and out.

 

[ksh1111]

They are getting a deal, at least in my area! I pay our housesitter $50/day, for 3 dogs. I used to pay a bit less, but then throw in money for gas, but now just do the flat $50. I want/need someone who wants to spend time with my pets, not lock them up 20 hours a day!

 

[usnuzuloose]

I pay 200 for a week, and i buy their food as well.

 

[Scambone]

They are getting a deal, at least in my area! I pay our housesitter $50/day, for 3 dogs. I used to pay a bit less, but then throw in money for gas, but now just do the flat $50. I want/need someone who wants to spend time with my pets, not lock them up 20 hours a day!

Yeah I wake up they get breakfast and their meds. I go to work and let them out on my lunch break. After work I let them out and feed them then head to my home to feed my own animals. Then I'm back to the dog house for the night for pets and cuddles. I do the normal snow shoveling, mail checking, plant watering. Nothing over the top like one lady had me relaying all her messages that came in for work. That was just scary because I was afraid of messing up or missing a call.

 

[Happyjen27]

Note really a budget question but it is to do with money...

I have an older couple who hires me to house sit for them on the weekends. Usually they give me $50 bucks for me to stay at their house with two dogs from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. They would like to leave for a couple of weeks and was wondering what I would charge them. I never know what to say when people ask me that kind of question, especially when it requires me to stay for longer periods of time.

Some background info- Thier house isn't out of my way from my job. I always bring my own food and most of the time when I go home to check on my chinchillas I take my showers there. Would you stick to $25 a day?

At least that. People are willing to pay more for in-home dog sitting rather than sending them to a kennel. And, a kennel is more expensive than $25 per night for 2 dogs.

 

[Tiffylv]

.

 

[southlakejr]

Will you come to my house?!?!?!?! That rate would be incredibly cheap where I live. Incredibly so.

If you want to find what rates are where you live, check rover.com. It will show you what other people in your area are charging.

 

[clh2]

At least that. People are willing to pay more for in-home dog sitting rather than sending them to a kennel. And, a kennel is more expensive than $25 per night for 2 dogs.

Unfortunately, we no longer have our fur-baby. But when we did, we didn't think anything about paying an in-home dog sitter $50/day. Out last dog just didn't do well with boarding. I did not even blink at that cost. Sitter stayed overnight, took our dog to doggy day car when it was her day, and then stayed with her at night.

 

[dfchelbay]

Note really a budget question but it is to do with money...

I have an older couple who hires me to house sit for them on the weekends. Usually they give me $50 bucks for me to stay at their house with two dogs from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. They would like to leave for a couple of weeks and was wondering what I would charge them. I never know what to say when people ask me that kind of question, especially when it requires me to stay for longer periods of time.

Some background info- Thier house isn't out of my way from my job. I always bring my own food and most of the time when I go home to check on my chinchillas I take my showers there. Would you stick to $25 a day?

I think $200 for the week is reasonable. We've had pet sitters in the past that we paid and told them they're welcome to eat whatever they like in the house. We even asked what snacks they like & made sure they were at the house for them. When we kenneled our dogs before it was $15 for 1st dog and $10 for second because they were small and stayed in same run. Larger dogs were $25 each per day.

 

[DisneyHardin]

I think $200 for the week sounds very reasonable. You are giving quite a bit of your time to do this. A good pet sitter is a Godsend when you are traveling.

 

[disneyfreakk]

I pay my pet sitter $40 a day...