subject: Tips On How To Become A Top House Sitter [print this page] Getting unpaid house sitting jobs is not at all difficult if you go about it the right way, even though you'll find that as you're offering your services unpaid there is heavy competition for each job that comes up because there are a lot of people out there desperate to get a free roof over their heads.You need to create and place a really good house sitter profile for yourself on the big house sitting websites. By advertising yourself and your services in this way home owners can find you and offer you jobs and you'll also need to arrange to have some references even though you may not have done any house sitting previously.But have you ever been left 'home alone' at someone's house, maybe if they went out shopping? If you have you might not have realised it, but you were house sitting and they can give you a reference to start you off!You also need some good character references, preferably from professional people such as your doctor, lawyer, etc., but perhaps you have old school friends who are now in business or a respected profession or maybe your school teachers could give you character references?Once you've completed half a dozen successful house sits and you have good references from happy home owners for each of them you can start charging for your services. Make sure that initially you charge somewhere around 50% of the charges made by the house sitting agencies (just call up the agencies as a homeowner and get a quote to find out what they charge, then make sure you undercut it).Then set up a very simple website that showcases you as a house sitter and also displays your charges, but keep searching for and taking unpaid jobs to fill any gaps.You'll find that some people will insist on paying you even though your profile may say you don't charge, especially if you can get to a job they've been let down on, and any income is a big help.In the beginning you may not earn a lot, but with the low cost living you're enjoying what you earn could ease your financial pressure and improve your life.Home owners, like house sitters, not only come in all shapes and sizes, but they have their own ideas about how they're going to treat you. Some will buy you food and not charge you for any utilities including reasonable phone use. You can't beat house sitting for these people!Some might charge you for the utilities you use by the month at an agreed rate and others will simply not supply food.Some will want you to pay a bond and sign a contract as well as pay for your utilities. When it comes to this kind of arrangement (I have never paid a bond nor had a single contract) you want to check the contract out very carefully or have a lawyer do it in case it's going to make it difficult for you to get your money back.Most home owners don't want you to sign a contract, pay a bond or pay for utilities (as long as you don't rack up high charges) which is great, but my advice is that you do need something that outlines the basis of your job even if it's only contained in the emails you've exchanged with the owner.It's just that a small minority of home owners don't keep their end of the bargain so it's as well to keep the emails you've exchanged that contain the detail of the basis of your job.And so it will become easier and easier to fill your year with house sitting and once you catch the house sitting bug you'll find it becomes a really pleasurable way of life.
