We’ve been housesitters and also hosted sitters at our home to take care of our dog, home and veg patch. Typically, we leave them with a bottle of wine and gift card for a local restaurant or the fancy local grocers. But I wanted to ask you all…
What is your favorite or most meaningful “thank you” gift you’ve received from a homeowner?
We offer to pick them up at the airport and have dinner together the evening before we leave, but want some new ideas about what we can do to show our appreciation for someone taking care of our pup and our space.
I have been moved many times by the generosity I have received by people I have known for a relatively short time. The relationship, the bond if you will, has been very meaningful and long lasting and far too special to single anyone out to be better than anyone over the other. They have all been unique and very special to me.
I have been wined and dined, given expensive gifts, books, even was taken to see the Royal ballet and the Philharmonic London Orchestra in London (wasn’t even sitting at the time for this individual but I was in the area). Currently, I have “open door” welcome mats in several places across the globe, repeat sits scheduled over a year out and a once a week complimentary yoga session with a friend (home and pet owner).
It’s an amazing life full of treats. I actually just said to someone last week, it’s like Christmas every day and I never, ever take that for granted.
It actually makes me a more dedicated, conscientious person.
Hello @KGreene and welcome to the forum - happy to have more members sharing their wonderful experiences and being so considerate towards sitters. It’s also great to have more homeowners contributing to and starting conversations on the forum.
It’s that spirit of generosity that makes house sitting such a wonderful exchange and honestly for us it’s what we value the most - the relationships that we form around the world with people and their pets - that’s gift enough. That sounds a little cheesy maybe, but there you go
We have had some lovely gifts over our years of house sitting but two stand out. One was the offer of a villa in southern Spain as a vacation gift and the other a pair of colorful travel based luggage tags. Special for different reasons. My father had passed away during a year of back-to-back housesits that we managed to do without any cancellations, and so that holiday week was such a welcome respite in a difficult year. The luggage tags were special because at the time we’d sold up everything we’d owned, and only had 2 carry on bags as we house sat our way around the world. I loved that our owner thought carefully about what she could buy us that would fit into our lifestyle We still have those tags on our bags today, 6 years later.
I don’t particularly like receiving gifts so I’m perfectly content not getting anything. When I do, I prefer a gift card or a consumable. Something for a local specialty food shop would be amazing. I travel light. I don’t want to feel obligated to take anything with me. More than once I’ve regifted kind gifts from home owners because I just don’t have the space to carry anything extra.
One of my most memorable gifts was on a sit I did in France. I arrived a few days early as I was caring for chickens, pigs, and half dozen dogs so I wanted to be there for a while to make sure I really knew the routine. I got on well with the owners and the 4 of us would generally kill at least 2 bottles of wine a night at dinner. Sometime more if grandma was really thirsty.
The day they left, the mom said she was just going to pop to the shop and make sure all my supplies were topped up for the time they were away. Later that night, after they’d gone, I went into the larder to get things for dinner. There on the table were 14 bottles of wine. One for every day they’d be gone.
I messaged her and asked why so much wine and she said it was for me to enjoy while they were gone. I just laughed. When I’m being social I’ll have a couple drinks but when it’s just me, I rarely drink. I think I finished one bottle in the time they were gone and that because I almost felt obligated! All-in-all, it felt very French to me.
I know this doesn’t necessarily answer your question but the silliest gift I got was a fridge magnet from the place they had just visited. I spent a while looking for the fridge. (I have no permanent home) haha
You’re very generous and I’m sure your sitters have welcomed such generosity. I have rarely received gifts and don’t expect them although a bottle of wine at Christmas would be appreciated. I sometimes have to stay the night before with homeowners who are leaving early the next day and have enjoyed dinner with them in their homes. I likewise like to have a meal prepared for home owners if they’re returning home late from abroad, with fresh milk and bread in the fridge.
Thanks to all of you for sharing your experiences and ideas…these are helpful and nice to hear, plus some made me laugh or smile. Mostly it all reminds me of why this is a lovely community to be part of!
If you know that the person drinks (and drinks wine), that’s great. But many people do not, and it might be a trigger for them. The restaurant gift card is a great idea.
