Need house sitter advice...

[tcufrog]

For the first time ever, we're going to have a house sitter when we go out of town for a week after Christmas. My cousin, who is in grad school and needs the extra money, will be doing it. My MIL, who lives with us, will be here but she can't walk the dogs safely. Basically, she'll walk the dogs twice a day and feed them 3 times a day. She has a lot of experience with dogs and likes our dogs. I'm going to write down instructions for her and give her the emergency numbers for the plumber, electrician, etc. in case something goes wrong.

What's an appropriate amount to pay her? What should I provide for her? Do I ask her for a grocery list and stock the fridge?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

For the first time ever, we're going to have a house sitter when we go out of town for a week after Christmas. My cousin, who is in grad school and needs the extra money, will be doing it. My MIL, who lives with us, will be here but she can't walk the dogs safely. Basically, she'll walk the dogs twice a day and feed them 3 times a day. She has a lot of experience with dogs and likes our dogs. I'm going to write down instructions for her and give her the emergency numbers for the plumber, electrician, etc. in case something goes wrong.

What's an appropriate amount to pay her? What should I provide for her? Do I ask her for a grocery list and stock the fridge?

I found this info online (msn money)
According to Thumbtack, the average pet sitter charges $25 to $30 for a daily visit or $75 to $85 to stay overnight. The actual cost will vary based on where you live, how many pets you have, how long the sitter visits for, and whether or not they do other duties while in your home such as collect your mail. In addition, prices may be higher if you travel during busy times such as holidays. Before your trip, be sure to discuss with the sitter what their rates are and what services are included in the cost. And as Weaver said, be sure to account for a gratuity in addition to the standard rates.

IMO, I wouldn't stock the fridge for a sitter, but let them buy their own food. And I'm not so sure about the "gratuity in addition" part.

 

[TwoMisfits]

So, does she also need to MIL sit, or is the MIL fully capable for herself, but not up for the dogs? Or, more specifically, is she there to not just keep the dogs company, but your MIL, too?

If it were me, and it's family, err on overpaying and being extra nice...I'd ask if there's something she'd like to eat/drink to be in the house while she's there, I'd pay the higher going daily rate listed above and increase it if she's gonna be around for MIL-sitting/helping, too, and if it all goes well, I'd tip 1-2 days/pay on top of the agreed rate.

But, that's me - no family drama is priceless to me...and if I was in a position to help family without them realizing I was helping them, I'd take it. Here, you know she needs the money, but she's going to be working for you, so she'd never question any extra "help" you slide through in that guise...

But it also depends if money is tight for you, too...

 

[mjkacmom]

$100 a night? Just to get your digs walked and fed twice a day would cost close to that, and the sitter isn’t benefiting from one of the usual perks of house sitting, having a house to yourself.

 

[Silver saucer]

Talk to your cousin, see what her expectations are and figure out what would work for both of you.

 

[monsterkitty]

We always use the college students of fellow teachers to house sit while we are away. We pay them $100/night plus we ask them for a shopping list and I leave that for them. I will also leave a gift card for the grocery store, Starbucks, and a few movie passes.

Our favorite sitter refuses pay so we give the money to her mom who then deposits it into her DD's bank account.

 

[Grand Koalafornian]

I house sit as a side gig in a high COL area and I charge $35/night for one dog and an additional $10/additional dog. Maybe I should raise my prices. I’m not licensed or bonded though, and I have a full-time job, so my time is split. I am getting way more offers than I need, though.

 

[dvcgirl67]

I'm not sure where you live which would help determine the going rate for this kind of service. Around here it would be $100 just for the "overnight" portion of that kind of stay which is from tuck-in through breakfast. There's an additional fee every time the dogs needed to go out during the day. So it usually comes out to $150 for a 24 hour period. But, with this being family....I'd say $100 a night would suffice. I'd look at a small gift card like 50-100 for food/incidentals as a tip of sorts. It is in the top three busiest weeks of the year in the pet-sitting business...so a "thanks" on top of the regular fee would be a nice touch.

 

[dvcgirl67]

I house sit as a side gig in a high COL area and I charge $35/night for one dog and an additional $10/additional dog. Maybe I should raise my prices. I’m not licensed or bonded though, and I have a full-time job, so my time is split. I am getting way more offers than I need, though.

Raise your prices!! I have had this kind of business for almost 20 years...and you're way, way under.

 

[stsomewhere]

We paid our daughter's friend $ 60 a day to stay at our house and watch our two dogs. Our vet charges $30 a night per dog to board. We did not expect her to be here the entire time. She worked. She still lived at home and would of done it for free. I bought her some snacks that I knew that she liked.

 

[Grand Koalafornian]

Raise your prices!! I have had this kind of business for almost 20 years...and you're way, way under.

Thanks! I always feel weird about that sort of thing, but now I have inflation and demand as good reasons.

 

[dclpluto]

I house sit as a side gig in a high COL area and I charge $35/night for one dog and an additional $10/additional dog. Maybe I should raise my prices. I’m not licensed or bonded though, and I have a full-time job, so my time is split. I am getting way more offers than I need, though.

at them low prices that you charge I’m sure you do have lots of more offers than you need. Raise your price.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Thanks! I always feel weird about that sort of thing, but now I have inflation and demand as good reasons.

The demand alone is a signal to raise your prices...but yes, inflation is a good reason to give right now. One way to raise prices is to take existing customers up to say....$50 a night, since you were very low to start. But with new customers....go much higher in your case, up to $75 minimum.

 

[tcufrog]

Thanks for the advice. During the school year, she works as a substitute teacher at her old high school where her mom is still a teacher. She likes doing that because she gets to make her own schedule. That means that she doesn't have income during holidays though. She doesn't want to get a holiday job though because she wants to focus on her finals. My MIL doesn't need help but hates living alone so she's glad someone will be here. She usually stays with friends when we go out of town but that's not possible this time. I suspect that my MIL will try to feed her though. I plan to warn her that my MIL's food is spicy. Her main job is the dogs. Boarding both of them is really expensive.

 

[SharonZ]

They need fed three times a day, and walked twice - $75 a day, plus a gift card for food.

 

[brockash]

Man I guess I never imagined you could make pet sitting a career, but holey cow at these rates; I can see how it's possible and even better if you could get it worked out to be booked so much that you basically don't even need your home (no rent/mortgage when you're staying at someone's home.) Definitely interesting.

 

[tcufrog]

Man I guess I never imagined you could make pet sitting a career, but holey cow at these rates; I can see how it's possible and even better if you could get it worked out to be booked so much that you basically don't even need your home (no rent/mortgage when you're staying at someone's home.) Definitely interesting.

I've heard of retired people doing it who travel in their RV when they aren't house sitting or keeping an eye on someone's property.

 

[mjkacmom]

Man I guess I never imagined you could make pet sitting a career, but holey cow at these rates; I can see how it's possible and even better if you could get it worked out to be booked so much that you basically don't even need your home (no rent/mortgage when you're staying at someone's home.) Definitely interesting.

$36,000 a year if you never had a day off? No thanks.

 

[longboard55]

We pay $75 for a over night stay, not something we would want to cheap on.

 

[brockash]

$36,000 a year if you never had a day off? No thanks.

For feeding an animal a few times a day and living in a home? Yes, please...I mean that's just a small part of what most ppl. do on their day off from a more traditional job. I think it could definitely end up being a pretty sweet deal.