There will be as many different answers as there are people who answer that question. We all have different expectations. Home owners may need a pet sitter for oh so many reasons. Going away on a family holiday. We all have done it and know the complete chaos. Work trip. The home owner may leave their home as if they are going to the office. These are just two examples why things may not be exactly how pet sitters think they should be.
I am not condoning some peoples cleaning skills but I think the onus is on the potential pet sitter to make sure the home is up to their standards by video calling and asking questions. Really look at the pictures. If the table is an untidy mess of dirty dishes then it is a indication the owner is not house proud. If the bedroom has an unmade bed in the pictures expect the worst. If the shower room is strewn with the owners toiletries, most of the other rooms will be cluttered as well. Itās up to the pet sitter to weigh up the pros and cons and accept or refuse the sit. A new house or flat owned by a young couple with no children is far easier kept clean than an old Edwardian farmhouse filled with children and animals.
Make your own chose but donāt start moaning when the chose turns out the wrong one for you. Cleanliness is a state of mind. Decide what you can put up with and canāt deal with then apply.
@ElsieDownie - Whilst I agree a sitter can look out for red flags as to the condition of the house they apply to sit in - I completely disagree that the onus on looking for clues to get a feeling as to whether the home is clean enough is with the sitter.
The responsibility for providing a home with an acceptable level of cleanliness to accept a sitter lies fairly and squarely on the shoulders of the homeowner.
We are all adults and know the difference between untidy and filthy.
If a sitter arrives to find a filthy home, whether they tried to spot the clues or not, It is not their fault, they have every right to āmoanā and should not be made to feel guilty for doing so.
Yes, I have my standard and you definitely will have different standards to me and someone else will have lower standards and others higher. Iām not talking filthy, thatās another whole thread but clean, cleaner and cleanest is very difficult to define amongst a group of grown ups.
At the moment we are staying in a very old but modernised house, beautiful garden and the surroundings are out of this world. There are huge cobwebs in the downstairs loo. I think they are authentic and to be expected in a place like this. What do you think?
In one of early summer sits, another very old house in t he countryside, the walls were half painted, the tall windows were covered in cobwebs and there was dust everywhere. But the house was one of the happiest houses Iād ever been in - a young couple with several children, pets and everything that goes with country living. How would you rate dirty wellington boats blocking the outside door, wiping the cobwebs away from the window latch before you open the window, sitting very carefully on the toilet because the seat was broken yesterday by some boisterous play, no window blinds or curtains to block out the most wonderful views. I loved it but not everyone would.
We are de cobwebbing the kitchen, sleeping areas and the areas where the house sitters will be all the time. This has taken a solid 2 weeks as the ceilings are so high, you need high steps and a long cobweb brush. We have chatted to our sitters and they understand that the rest of the house will not be of that standard. We have been communicating will them for that reason. It would be a shame to close off all doors and stop someone seeing the house for that reason so I do think good communication is the key. I have had a lot of help and really useful advice from the forum. It is such a good idea.
Are you likely to do this every time you want a house sitter? Or will you just be truthful with them and explain, old houses, high ceilings, lots of maintenance.
@Crazydoglady yes I kind of agree with you but there are exceptions and for example I stayed at a sit in Bristol recently; a Georgian terrace with high ceilings and huge roomsā¦the bathroom was bigger than most lounge rooms! I never felt comfortable there as it did not have the feel of a home more of a show home and on six levels thats alot of stairs to be going up and down! Also a lodger had the basement level and there was no lock beween that level and the ground floor kitchen and dining room. I had not been told there was somebody living in the basement and when I arrived and explored, I stumbled on them by accidentā¦very embarassing for us both! Its a strange feeling when you know there is a stranger living just below and there are no locks to stop them coming into your space (and same for them of course). I know what you mean about the upstairs downstairs situation and I tend to avoid those sort of arrangements though I did a sit recently where I was in a converted garage with a cute little kitchen and lots of light coming in from big windows looking out over fields, with a comfy bed and en-suite. The dogs lived in the main house and the first morning I went to give them breakfast and walk them, I was so glad that I was in a nice clean and comfortable smaller space as the main house was an absolute disgrace! If I had been asked to stay there, I would have been more than upset! So there are exceptions.
I found it fascinating to read your post @carpediem, especially the last bit about the garage accommodation vs the main house. Iāve never applied for a sit where the sitter is not welcome to use the main house as I dislike the whole āstaffā vibe but in this case, it looks like you dodged a bullet. Iāll obviously have to rethink my strategy!
@carpediem@Myhnabird A few weeks ago I house sat three hens for a long weekend. The main house was all locked up and I stayed in their AirBandB at the top of the driveway which was modern, cute, and very clean. I was glad I was there instead of the main house which was massive and looked very cluttered and dated when I peered through the windows!
Yeah, even if the main house was neat as a pin, thereās a lot to be said for only having to clean a small space instead of a massive house (Can you tell weāre still getting over having to do one of āthoseā cleaning jobs?)
This is why I made it clear about the size and age of the house. It is not everyones cup of tea and those who donāt like that type of house can avoid it.
Iām having trouble getting over my slightly OTT cleaning obsession. With some houses, you can drive yourself crazy and the homeowner certainly doesnāt expect their 400 year old heritage home to be dust free. As you can see, itās just meā¦
I agree with this but we have safe for a few couples who were very elderly,. Their eyesight was not what it used to be and cutlery and plates etc were put away with bits on them. They had cleaners that basically got away with murder and did littleā¦
On both occasions, after the cleaners had done their jobs, we cleaned. We loved both couples and their pets, so it was not a chore. One was a repeat sit of many years.
I do believe that it says somewhere for homeowners to leave their home clean and in reasonable condition for the housesitter?
If we arrived to a falsely advertised hoarders house with health issues, we would not stay. We always arrive before he HO leaves, often the day before or visit before.
(Can you tell weāre still getting over having to do one of āthoseā cleaning jobs?)