I would add toilet plunger in case of stop up. Toilet cleaner and general purpose cleaning product for countertops and appliances.
1 Like
so true for no 3. I have never used a dishwasher and I dont need it being alone.
2 Likes
Indeed the homes that I have house sat in were spotlessly clean. The home I am in right now has sparkling pots and pans and immaculate range that I was apprehensive using it. (Until hunger took over )
From this thread, I appreciate the extent that a ho have to do before a sit. I am this ho first sitter so I guess she followed the THS guidelines religiously.
Frankly I would feel much more comfortable if the house has a lived in vibe rather than hotel like.
2 Likes
As we usually travel by van and take a ridiculous amount of stuff from home (I told my husband we don’t need to but he has been known to take long life milk from NL) the most unusual thing we lacked in a house was a toilet brush.
We house-sat for the people who were so considerate of our needs but obviously the lady of the house had a thing about toilet brushes. We bought one from a pound shop and when we returned for a 2nd sit found it in the utility room gathering cobwebs behind other clutter. On our 3rd sit for them they’d moved and no sign of our old toilet brush. I was shy about asking how HO cleans her toilets so just used some kitchen towel and threw it in the bin afterwards. If anyone knows how to clean a toilet without a brush let me know!
As others have said, people have different definitions of “essential”. I’m a siiter and HO, and my home has most of the items that people have listed. However, I’m not about to buy “antibacterial bench spray” (whatever that is) or a flyswatter because a sitter expects it.
If I am doing a sit, I don’t expect the HO to provide shampoo and conditioner, for example. I don’t expect an electric kettle or hairdryer either, though they are nice to have. I have done sits where HOs don’t have items that I’d like - toaster, microwave - but I improvise.
As a HO, i don’t think I should provide enough toilet paper for 2 months (wouldn’t the sitter be buying their own toilet paper if they weren’t at my house??) If you buy too much TP and leave it behind for the HOs, aren’t you really just replacing what you used?
4 Likes
Haha, yeah, whoops. I maintain that the list I posted to start are fairly essential for the majority of people in most situations. And I’d add toilet brush, because I want to come home to clean toilets.
But I also said: “I think if we can keep it simple it will be easier for homeowners to see where they can make little tweaks for happier sitters.”
Well… I have been surprised by some comments. I honestly didn’t expect to see requests for large appliances and major home improvements! Some sitters seem to expect the moon while others are more down to earth. As you said though, this is just individual opinions. Each person and sit will be different, and no one needs to do anything that doesn’t suit their lifestyle or home (or explain why they won’t). Sorry if your peaceful morning was affected, a nice cuppa should sort it 
4 Likes
@Crosswords_and_puzzles I am guessing most of the tea kettle requests are coming from the UK as they are avid tea drinkers where us in the US are coffee drinkers. Just my guess though.
1 Like
Number 4 for sure!
1 Like
How can I leave shampoo and conditioner. There are so many brands, types etc. you can bring a travel size and then buy some when you next go to the shops, I think that taking things a bit to far, but a good try !!!
4 Likes
@Pawtastic Bravo 
. All much appreciated by most sitters!
1 Like
Yes I would definitely want to buy my own toiletries and would never use any left by the HO. I guess this post is mainly about what is a ‘nice to have’ or appreciated, not expected. For example, I bring my own hairdryer unless it is a repeat sit and I know the HO always leaves one in the guest room (as I do at home for my guests). I appreciate having one but do not expect one to be provided. Laundry tablets/powder/liquid is tricky to bring as each HO has their preference for what is used in their machine and we use very little on a sit and end up buying far more than we need. However there is give and take and it all evens out in the end.
2 Likes
It is your choice to travel and only bring hand luggage. A HO cannot be expected to know this and anticipate what you might need. If any personal item is important to you, bring it or buy it when you need it.
The corollary of your statement "If a HO think these basic items listed in this discussion are too much to ask for then they should consider what a paid sitter would cost them and maybe go that route instead." *could be
*If a sitter thinks that a HO should provide every item that the sitter considers as “basic”, then the sitter should consider what paid, fully-stocked, accommodation would cost and maybe go that route instead"
8 Likes
@Globetrotter me too re the food scales!
@Pawtastic good for you about plastics. I was merely responding to the thread title of “items sitters need / wish they had”. The emphasis of this thread is on sitters wishes not what owners disagree with or won’t supply.
1 Like
@Lassie I never used anti bacterial bench spray before the COVID pandemic but now do. COVID has reinforced hygiene principals that has stopped us getting sick. I take my own small bottle of spray when I travel to spray common touch points before I use them. At our last sit the HO had just recovered from COVID. This is an example of an anti bacterial bench spray I use (and it smells great)
@Crookie I think part of the confusion may have been caused by different words for the same thing. If I remember correctly @Lassie, a bench top in Australia is the wording for a countertop in the USA. Once again, we’re not speaking the same English.
2 Likes
Exactly! I was thinking maybe it was for a bench inside the back door, after you walk the dogs. I thought “I don’t need that, I don’t have benches”!
It’s really just “antibacterial spray”. I have lots of that, because I foster kittens so much!
@Crookie
4 Likes
Haven’t used a hair dryer in years 
Oh gosh I must retract that statement!
Used one to thaw out a severely impacted freezer! 
Personal commentary as is all of this anyway…
All these “things of wants and wishes” are really just personal preferences and habits.
When we travel part of the experience is learning how to make do with what is going in different settings, cultures, countries…
How do they do it?
If everything is “just as it is back home” why travel? 
9 Likes