Prior to the house sitters arrival..

Prior to my arrival for the actual house sitting gig, the homeowner and I will have established that I'll arrive at least 30-45 minutes before they leave. I'll text or call to confirm I'm on my way, as it eases the homeowner's mind that they won't be delayed in leaving for their trip.

I like to transition the pets from their owners to me, and to receive last minute details, the appropriate keys, and my fee (again, this has been established in the Client Agreement that I get all or a portion of the fee upfront). If I didn't give them a business card during the walk-through, I make sure they have one that contains my contact information and any emergency contacts.

If for some reason I'm not able to be there prior to their departure (i.e., I may be ending a house sit and coming directly into this one), I'm there as soon as possible. The homeowner and I have previously discussed the location of keys, any last minute details or changes and my fee is left on the kitchen counter.

This information is assuming this is a house sit in your neck of the woods. For international house sitting, the approximate arrival time is 2 days prior.

Six Ways for the Homeowner to Make a House Sitter Feel "At Home"

Not all the onus falls on the shoulders of the house sitter, as the homeowner needs to take responsibility for the safety, security, and comfort of their house sitter. A happy sitter means the house will be taken care of, the pets will be adored, and they will want to return for future gigs.

Six Ways for the Homeowner to Make a House Sitter feel "At Home"

1. Make sure the house is clean and ready for the sitter's stay.

2. Provide a comfortable sleeping accommodation.

3. Wi-Fi connection is great for those sitters who work online.

4. A list of markets, restaurants, parks, events, etc., in the area.

5. Permisson to use the kitchen and its gadgets at will (let them know
if there are boundaries, such as what food to eat in the fridge, freezer,
and pantry).

6. The simple words of "make yourself at home" makes all the
difference, as the house sitter will feel trusted and respected.

The sitter homeowner relationship is like any other relationship. A mutual trust needs to be in place. Beautiful and meaningful friendships are made on trust alone.

"Feel at Home" you said and that's not a priviledge I would misuse.

We want YOU to be our House Sitter!

I got the call on my drive home. I was house sitting 10 minutes from the house sit interview location so it took less than that for the homeowners to decide they wanted me to be their house sitter.

During the housesit home interview, the homeowners more than once, said they were impressed at how detailed, organized and prepared I was. Previous house sitters had never pulled out the packet of forms and questionnaires, they said. I explained why this is necessary for me to be the best house sitter for them. I need to know all of the details. Mind you, the forms and questionnaires I have are in a very simplified form. I do not like things complicated.

They also said they were interviewing more than one house sitter but didn't bring it up until the end of the interview. I always know that's a possibility. I'm hearing it more than not. House sitting is gaining popularity and becoming somewhat competitive. You are competing against house sitters who do not want or care to be paid for their services. Knowing this information, you really have to bring your talents and skills forward and be different from everyone else.

After going through some of the forms with the homeowners, I pulled out an envelope full of referral letters. I was quiet and just let them read. Again, they were happy. At this point you are answering their questions before they even ask.

The house sit was not planned for another 3 months. When this happens, you ask for a deposit to hold their spot. The homeowners asked when I needed to know their answer. I had just gotten another call for that same time period and I was supposed to call the gal back if this house sit didn't work out so 'as soon as they knew,' was my answer. I ask for half deposit but you can decide for yourself what you think is fair for both you and the homeowner. Then explain that the balance is due on the first day of the house sit.

Here's a list of 3 reasons why you will stand out from the crowd:

1. Be prepared with simple forms and give the answers before they even ask the questions.

2. Ask for referral letters from everyone you house sit for. If you are new at this, have referrals from friends who love you, landlords who can vouch for you, and co-workers who will call you a team player. Be armed with letters and phone numbers of good reviews from others.

3. In this case, there was a sense of urgency, since I was getting calls for that same time period and I was upfront about it.

THE MERMAID'S GUIDE TO HOUSE SITTING which you can purchase on this site through Amazon, is chock full of the details that would help you to stand out and be different and be the best house sitter in your town or anywhere in the world. I have included forms and questionnaires as well. You can edit them as you wish.

I wish you all the best and have fun with it. Aloha

Aloha to a Family Pet

When I received the news that Bear Hunter Tucson died, I was in shock. Tucson was a grand ole dog. Not really old at all. He was 10 years old and died before his time.

He was a bear hunter in his younger days before the owners adopted him and brought him to Hawaii. He was a bit of a trash digger so the homeowner had locks on the cupboards just to keep Tucson out. He choked on a bone, they said. This house sitting family is really special to me. I have housesat for them many times in the past and since we still have another dog and a parrot, I suspect I will still be seeing them on a regular basis. It will just be different.

I take care of mostly older dogs so I have been through this before. The owners are always kind to call me since I've bonded with their pet.

I would like to give baskets of hugs to the owners of Tucson and to all of you who have ever lost a pet. It's heart wrenching. I have been through it myself.

I would also love to dedicate this post to all my babies who have gone before Tucson also. There is Studley, Koa, Kai, Mochi, and now Tucson.

Aloha and A Hui Ho (until we meet again)

Having a Blast..and Helping People in the Process

I don’t know how but I seem to attract the most genuine, loving and fun clients. Even when I had my fitness studio, my clients would ask me, “how do you find such nice people".  Well, it is the same thing now.

I would do anything for these kind souls and I’m pretty sure the feeling is mutual.

My first and foremost goal and always has been, is to help others reach their goals by offering my services, and in this case, as a trusted house sitter. Often times, I feel humbled by the level of trust from homeowners. Of course, it is a two-way street, and we take care of each other. The more trust there is between us, the more we are happy to help out where we can.

I have provided many services outside the realm of house sitting for my homeowners. They know I’m a good housekeeper so I have had many house cleaning gigs. Since there is a knowing of trust between us, I’ve been asked to work updating client files, from an attorney client. Having a knack for negotiations, I’ve had gigs taking photos and selling items on Craigslist which I really liked. There is also anything pet related, and always excited when I can see my guys, when I’m not actually house sitting.

Meeting interesting people and pets was on my bucket list, when I first decided to become a full-time house sitter and I have checked that off the list, a long time ago.

I love house sitting and having such great people to work with, makes this job, (if you want to call it that) perfect for me.

If you are interested in knowing more about this awesome world, just drop an email to themermaidhousesitter@gmail.com, with any questions you may have or you can dive right on in, by picking up my book, The Mermaid’s Guide To House Sitting, at Amazon. Click on the book cover on this site, to a direct link. Mahalo and well wishes to all of you mermaids and mermen.

I'm busy...doing whatever I like

Once my responsibilites are taken care of, I have the freedom to do... whatever suits my fancy.

One of the wonderful perks (freedom) of house sitting, is setting it up to be a glorious vacation. The homeowners encourage you to do so. You can pick and choose your house sits. Make sure you choose the ones you really, really want.

Since most of my house sits come with some adorable pets, I want to make sure they are well taken care of before I go gallavanting. That involves feeding the animals, cleaning a litter box, walking the dog, and just being around for the morning routine. If there's any watering to do, that is taken care of also.

Once your pets have been secured, the rest of the afternoon is yours to spend:

* jumping into the ocean (you may have a water dog who would like to play with you)

* taking a class

* seeing the sights

* riding a bike

* going to that restaurant you've been hearing about

* meeting up with a friend in the area

It's the "free spirit" in me that is being filled up.