Pick A Trustworthy Housesitter

Regardless if you’re traveling for just a few days or a few months, leaving your house empty while you’re away can be an uncomfortable feeling for some, whether you’re worried about being targeted for a potential break-in or just your plants dying.

Hiring a housesitter can alleviate some of the stress by assuring you someone will be around to check in on things, water the plants and pick up the newspapers from the front stoop. If at all possible, it’s usually best to hire a friend to housesit for you, since they’re someone you already know you can trust. However, that’s not always an option.

Ask around among your frequently traveling friends and colleagues for recommendations. Odds are they’ve hired someone to housesit for them before, so they can probably make a good recommendation. They may even have a relative or friend who would be willing to make some extra cash on the side.

There are plenty of websites specifically geared toward helping travelers find housesitters, but you’ll want to make sure you choose one that’s safe and reputable. Talking with someone at length before hiring them, as well as taking a look at their social media, can clue you into whether or not you’d like that individual staying in your home. It’s also important to be clear from the beginning as to what you expect to be done, from feeding the fish to leaving a porch light on to picking up any incoming packages.

If you think you’d rather make some cash than spend it, some travelers choose to rent out their abode through services such as Airbnb while they’re away. While it may take some preparation on your part to make sure everything’s neat and tidy before their arrival, you’ll at least have some cash in your pocket and your house won’t be sitting empty while you’re away.