Vacation House-Sitter List

Vacations can be stressful. With all the planning you must do for the actual event, there's much planning you must do--just to leave your home. Are you planning a vacation soon? If you've scheduled a house-sitter while you're gone, chances are you've made a list of things for your house-sitter to remember to do. And if you've not made a list yet, you can usually find a sample one online quite easily. Here are some typical and some not so typical house-sitting concerns that you might want to have on your house-sitter list.

Typical house-sitter list includes:

-When to get the mail and where to store the mail
-Pet routines and feeding details
-How and when to water plants and gardens
-Lawn and garden care
-How to take telephone messages
-Necessary keys, codes, security, passwords, and entry procedures
-When and where to deal with garbage and curbside pick up
-What lighting to leave on and when
-Contact numbers and how to reach each other

These are many of the concerns that you must communicate with your house-sitter. But there are more concerns not found on a typical list that you might want to put down on your list of things to discuss with your house-sitter. These are concerns unique to your situation--especially if the house-sitter will be an actual house guest while you're gone--not just one to drop in and check on things.

Unique house-sitter list could include:

-Permitted use of computer and passwords
-Permitted food and preparation pointers
-Instructions on airing out the house
-When to close blinds to block sun's heat
-How to make the home look lived-in
-Location of guest towels, soaps, and tub to use
-How to use any technical electronics equipment
-Concerns about noise volume and neighbors
-Concerns about dog barking and disturbing neighbors
-What to do outside in case of a wind storm
-How to set thermostat temps for energy savings
-Concerns about other guests in the home
-Any requirements about removing shoes inside
-Use of laundry and special instructions
-How to shut off water main
-Location of electric panel

Vacations are a time to refresh and regenerate. The last thing you need on your vacation is to worry about your house or whether your house-sitter would know how to handle a challenging situation.

Take the worry out of your vacation by discussing some of the potential problems or possible scenarios with your house-sitter beforehand. Do a little troubleshooting. Finally, make a complete list of everything you talk about and put it in writing. Give a copy of the list to your house-sitter and leave a copy in a visible spot in your home. Should the house-sitter misplace or forgets his or her copy, there will be a backup copy. With so much to remember about your home care, your house-sitter will appreciate having a list for reference.