Recently I applied for a long sitting for which the PP came straight back to me saying that they like the profile and would like to invite me.
Until then the ideal sitting: lovely pet, PP sounds very kind, beautiful house and location, excellent reviews with some sitters visiting more than once.
I am invited for an online chat. I thought we were going to have a conversation where we could introduce each other, talk about the pet, the sitting etc…
Instead, I was brought straight to the point that during the sitting it is possible that one of their children will come home and stay in their granny flat. The child will be having a Summer job and will be out mostly during the day. There is another possibility, although less likely, that the two children will come home and in that case I have to leave the house and stay in the granny flat. I’ll know this only a month or so before the sitting start.
Could I please ask if anyone has ever experienced something similar and/or how would you feel if you were brought to a similar scenario?
@DianeG Just to clarify the point, I would continue doing the sitting regardless the child/children is/are there or not.
Do you think it is “considerate” to provide an accommodation to a house sitter?!
Yes, I do. And I think that letting you know up front is a good sign. They understand that not everyone will feel flexible enough or comfortable enough to accommodate their situation. So if you don’t feel OK with it, then you should decline.
I wouldn’t do a sit with those conditions.
I can afford to be picky and I’m either there as the sole person occupying your property and looking after your dog or I’m not the sitter for you.
No certainty not, this is before you even start. You don’t know what’s going to come up if you actually accept the sit. You need to be comfortable, happy and undisturbed by others on any sit.
If the granny flat is truly separate than it is separate. However, if the child (in the granny flat) is under 18 I could see lots of issues with your role. Will the child have access to the main house? If so there goes the 3rd party rule. As for child number 2, if you have to move into the granny flat AND the pet stays in the main house then the sit is over and you are a guest. Otherwise, if you are still responsible for sitting in the house you don’t live in, while the “children” come and go, then you are a servant. This sounds terrible.
You probably know this. If you accept the sit, knowing this in advance, then I don’t know what to do tell you. I have no idea what your financial situation is, but there are probably easier summer jobs. There are certainly many better sit possibilities.
Absolutely no chance. They are not placing enough value on your sitting service and your time and own plans. The children being in & out are likely to be a royal pain in the backside and if they leave doors open, lose the pet, change their mind and/or bring friends back, it will be a potential disaster! Explain to them that it’s not fair or reasonable on THS to ask this for future sits and they should put this in the listing if it’s a serious request too. #andrunawayfast
They are trying to do the right thing by saying all this upfront, so it’s up to whether it feels okay for you or not. Plus they are giving you separate accommodation for the whole time, so they are offering a solution to their predicament.
We’ve had a two sits where an elderly parent has lived in totally separate accommodation, and we were totally fine with that. So one child coming home and being in the granny flat if it’s self contained would be fine with us, however the situation with the other child and you possibly needing to move into the granny flat at some point, is all a little too much of the unknown for us, so we personally would back out of it because we wouldn’t feel like we could relax and unwind with their pets, given the unknown. So we’d probably offer to stay in the granny flat instead, but to still have access to the main house while the kids aren’t there, because that would probably be the best solution for everyone. But that depends on where the pets are used to sleeping and the whole granny flat set-up.
There’s no right or wrong rules, it’s whatever you are comfortable with.
It would be a no thanks from me as well. Too many variables. Also if they start off by telling you this and you agree what other things will they throw in closer to the sit?
The sitters might have to move during the sit to accommodate the visitors, which inevitably means changing bed linen, moving personal belongings etc. How on earth is this ‘considerate’?
The OP hasn’t stated - or maybe doesn’t know - whether the granny flat has a separate access or whether it is accessed via the main property (which would contravene third party rules). Then there’s the potential issue of shared facilities, or garden. Will the pets stay in the main home when the sitters have to vacate to the granny flat? If sitters still have to provide pet care, how can that work? What if the visiting kids leave the gate open and the dog goes walkabout? And what about when the sitters move back into the main property, what if the kids have left it in a mess, or caused some damage?
This is supposed to be a mutually beneficial exchange, yet this scenario sounds as if it’s geared entirely to the needs of the host. I’m genuinely surprised the OP has to question whether it’s right for her.
@Mokina , one really important piece of advice - which is echoed often on these boards - is to follow your gut feeling when deciding whether or not to confirm a sit. If you have any reservations, it’s for a reason. If you’re feeling it’s a no, then my advice is don’t persuade yourself otherwise.
Things to consider -(ask the owners if you don’t already have the information)
Is the granny flat / annex entirely separate ( with it’s own entrance , kitchen , bathroom and laundry facilities ) and sufficiently distance from the main home so that you would not be crossing paths ?
Or is it just a bedroom - with the occupants using the main home for cooking, laundry etc .
Will the garden now become shared space whilst someone occupies the annex ?
Where will the pets stay if sitter has to move into the annex ? Sharing a small annex with pets is entirely different experience to staying in a large home with pets . ( are there photos of the annex in the listing )
What are the ages of the owner’s children ? Adults or under 18 ?