We experienced our first empty fridge and pantry on a recent sit and tried not to feel too unwelcome as the HO’s were brand new.
We made sure to leave them a full complement of basics for their return 
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I view an empty fridge as considerate. The HO has left plenty of room for my food and has disposed of anything that would spoil. I almost never use anything the HO has left in the fridge. I do appreciate (and expect) there to be coffee and tea in the cupboard.
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Each time we have welcomed a sitter or sitters into our home, we like to treat them to lunch or dinner. I was under the impression that leaving the sitter space in the fridge, freezer or cupboard for their own food items was the proper thing to do. We also leave them a drawer in the bathroom and guest room in case they want to unpack. Of course there’s butter and bread in the fridge, milk and coffee creamer, spices and coffee, baking necessities available. We always invite them to help themselves if there’s fresh fruit and vegetables, but we also have gluten free items that I would prefer they not use because those are quite expensive. Our sitters have always been appreciative and will usually replace anything major that they use and some have even left us food they prepared for our return, which is greatly appreciated. We also leave a gift card for them to use if they should need to purchase something for the pets or the house. If we go somewhere special, we will usually bring them a small souvenir based on what we learn about them while sharing a meal. Do I have the wrong idea? Would love feedback if we are not in the ballpark!
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As a sitter, the gift of spending time with their fur babies is more than enough as is providing me positive feedback 
I am the same, coffee and tea is like a necessary item to have in life in these uncertain times… 
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Oh, this is an interesting thought… my family is both sitters & owners on the site, so for our own home, we always try to clear out as much of the fridge as possible to provide adequate space for our incoming sitters. You are correct in that we do purposely go to lengths to do that, but definitely from a place of consideration for their storage and to ensure room for their food preferences, as people’s diets greatly vary. I hate to think of that possibly being misinterpreted. While we do typically ask for some staple grocery requests to be able to leave for our sitters, on a sit with my own family, I always appreciate having the fridge space for our personal groceries 
We mostly cook from home and have had to get creative on some sits with a fridge full of an owner’s personal groceries. I guess it is also important to keep in mind the length of the sit as well - most of our own sitters are for extended stays, so I do not want to leave them with a surplus of items that would perish or expire if unused due to dietary restrictions or preferences.
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@barbsun54 , you are very considerate and your sitters are very fortunate. I speak from first hand experience! 
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As both sitters & owners I try to really keep in mind what we appreciate the most when preparing for our own sitter.
Communication is key. I always ask for dietary restrictions or allergies. Our pets eat meat (minced chicken wet food for our cats & cooked ground turkey/beef for our dogs), so I double-check that our sitters are comfortable handling meat. Our dogs also get peanut butter with their treats, so I make alterations if any sitters have nut allergies.
We also typically have sitters arrive the evening before we leave, so we prepare a welcome dinner for them and want to make sure it is something they are able to enjoy. I will also ask for some grocery staples, so they do not have to immediately run out to the store in the morning and can spend some time settling in. We have been left welcome baskets & treats before as sitters (which we always appreciate!!) that we unfortunately could not enjoy due to our own dietary restrictions, so I always make sure to just ask 
I was actually just talking with our last sitters about this concept - it’s always the thought that counts, but definitely creates a tricky situation when a sitter cannot use what is left for them, especially when said sitter is nomadic.
Which is another thought to keep in mind as owners - a lot of sitters travel full-time, which means they travel light! Souvenirs & gifts are so thoughtful, but be intentional with the space they take up and weight they could add to luggage, especially right as a sitter is about to leave.
That being said, I have found the best ways to show appreciation are a clean home, detailed welcome guide, fridge/dresser/kitchen & bathroom counter space, and a review after completion 
For owners who want to go a bit beyond - a first meal or two depending on sitter’s arrival time, customized grocery staples, or a local gift card. Also a box with items to help sitters enjoy the home to its fullest potential - if you have a movie theater set-up : movie night box with popcorn & a treat, backyard fire pit : smores box with skewers, etc.
As sitters, we leave a clean home & happy pets, plus either a thank-you note, printed photo of their pet, flowers, a meal, or something personalized to the owner 
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As in all things, this aspect of the sitter and homeowner exchange will vary greatly. There is no right or wrong answer. We’ve had various experiences, and each one has been extremely acceptable for us. We have no preconceived ideas about how the HO will prepare for our arrival, and we tend to just go-with-the-flow as the situation presents itself. I believe the key ingredient for this lifestyle is not to expect anything to be precise, and be pleasantly surprised with the choices made by each HO. Variety is the spice of life!!!
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Exactly – it’s a mutually beneficial arrangement.
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I have been on 14 sits now and 6 left me a bottle of wine for me. One had a whole gift bag that included a $20 GC to the local grocery. I never give a gift. But I have done small repairs like fixed a leaking toilet.
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Thank you for putting a smile on my “recovering from COVID” face @Pawtastic and what a special and fun thing to come home to, I would love to have seen that journey through your home.
We hope you had the best trip to Botswana we’re also looking for pics of wild animals!!
Stunning … Thank you. Had you been to Africa before and what was you favorite moment? If that’s not an impossible thing to decide … 
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That’s fantastic!
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Thinking we’d like to leave our petsitter a selection of treats as a welcome and thank you . Would like to hear from those of you who have had a few sitters what you did for them by way of a thank you.
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On two occasions (long sits of 6 weeks each) we received lovely gift baskets with local delicacies like honey, special salt, crackers, dips etc. and one HO provided a voucher for a local boat trip (a 3-hour boat trip with lunch on the local river). This was very special, but never expected. Many housesits provide a bottle of wine and a welcome meal. As a HO, we order our regular fortnightly fruit/veggie box, direct from the farm, as a thank you to our sitters.
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I’ve had three sitters and didn’t expect anything. As a sitter I have prepared “welcome home” dinners when I was asked to stay the night the owners came home. I’ve bought potted plants on occasion. Sometimes I’ve taken tourist magazines with me from Iceland.
Hi @mishaa! When we were the pet parents we always left a welcome basket for our sitters, which included a bottle of wine (if they told us they drank wine), some breakfast snacks, fruit, popcorn, and extra treats just to get them started so they didn’t have to rush out to the store as soon as they arrived. We also included local attraction info and menus to some of the best restaurants in the area. This was appreciated as they didn’t have to spend a lot of time perusing the internet for info that may or may not be accurate.
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Thanks! I ended up asking the sitter what she likes so am able to tailor her gift basket to her likes.
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