This is a curiosity question and was wondering what other sitters have experienced. I’m currently on a local sit for 2 month’s it was an invite and i had decided to stay home for the summer for personal reasons. Anyway, the HO has some household supplies, i.e. cleaners etc, yet didn’t have enough bathroom soap or dish washing liquid. I ended up buying hand soap because I can take it home, but running out of dish liquid just seems unprepared. I came over here a couple of time’s to go over thing’s and was shown sll the cleaners and assumed she’d had enough dish liquid. I’m just curious about what you’ve experienced, mostly those who have done longer term sits. Just an observation. Thanks!
For long term sits we often buy our own essentials to not worry about our consumption. Usually toilet paper (unless they have an enormous quantity), soaps, laundry detergent. Sometimes it’s personal preference for soaps, but it just still feels weird to use other people’s supplies if we are there over 3 weeks.
Food wise we usually use condiments, olive oil and things we use a lot we replace.
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They probably didn’t know they were running low so it ran out. Is it really a big deal to buy dish soap and toilet paper for a 2 month sit? You can take those home just as you can with the hand soap, no?
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I was just curious mostly. It’s no big deal, I’ve had two previous two months sits and the HO’s informed me they did a Costco run and stocked up. However, I’m fine with buying them and taking them home, mostly I was curious.
I typically take sits of one or two weeks and buy my own toilet paper, soap, dish washing liquid and paper towels. I pack sheets of laundry detergent from home.
Usually as soon as I arrive, I place an order for groceries and include those supplies as well.
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For a 2 month Sit, I would expect to need to buy toilet paper, various types of soaps, paper towels, Kleenex, and lots of basics for the kitchen, since I cook a lot.
But……I guess it depends on how much WORK the Sitter is doing for the Owner. If the Owner has multiple pets with different needs, and the Sitter is also asked to do gardening, lawn mowing, watering—it would be nice if the Owner would stock up on these items for the Sitter. It is more out of convenience. The cost is trivial, and you would need these items even if you were staying in your own home.
I would be interested to hear comments from digital nomad Sitters.
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We’ve had all and everything on long term sits. Not a loo roll in sight (having taken a plane, ferry & taxi to reach a month long sit on other side of the world 
) & then oodles of everything (papers, soaps, detergents) for month long sits. Don’t mind buying & topping up if needed, definitely don’t like arriving to zero of things as that’s thoughtless, do especially love super well stocked basics as that indicates the HO is thoughtful for how long we are there & well prepared. One three month sit we did in Sri Lanka, the HO had shipped loo roll from Singapore hidden in their furniture as she viewed it as “expensive” in country and told us to ration it. Now that was bonkers. #nowtsoqueerasfolk
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Thanks for sharing your various experiences. I just have one kitty to look after, not too many other requirements. I was mostly just curious. Every situation is unique and different.
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We don’t really mind either way. I don’t think we’ve ever arrived at a sit with absolutely no essentials, but we do often have to stock up on supplies during a sit (soap, tp, paper towel, sometimes cling film or baking paper) which is no bother. If I have to buy something for a sit that’s less than £10, I really don’t mind. Actually I usually buy my own hand soap, especially if the owner has some fancy bottle that looks like it costs £50 and I’d rather not use it up 
Often I buy my own sponges & chucks wipes too because there’s usually only 1 dirty one at almost every sit 
We’re sitters, as it’s a 2 month sit, I personally wouldn’t expect an HO to provide enough provisions for the whole period, especially things like loo rolls and dish washer tablets, or washing up liquid in your case, but there would hopefully be enough for the first couple of weeks. However we’ve had the odd one that ran out of essentials very fast, but we look at it in the grand-scheme-of-things, whereby some will go above and beyond, others will provide the essentials, and the odd other one that doesn’t think in the same way.
But for longer stays, we don’t expect to be left supplies for the whole period, so we happily replace anything and leave them behind, because it’s nice to be nice.
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I always replace everything I use unless it’s a small amount of condiments. I usually place an online order to arrive the next day, order everything I need for my time there, don’t touch what the homeowner has. I’ve found that many sits don’t have a good bottle of cleaner, which I usually use right at the start and at the end. I don’t ask for reimbursement.
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Are those mostly local sits? When i traveled abroad this past winter I didn’t bring large liquids due to travel limitations and requirements. Some HO’s are selective about their cleaning products, i.e. this one uses only organic, vegan and biodegradable cleaners which is fine and that’s what I use. Some might prefer that you use particular items.
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I do the same whether domestically or abroad — I pick sits based partly on proximity to amenities and delivery services. I fly to nearly all of my sits.
If hosts are choosy about cleaning materials, then they should have those on hand. If not, then I’ll buy at my discretion. Of course, I’m careful about that. Like I bought a cleaning oil that was food-safe for butcher block that was drying out in patches near the sink, because there was inevitable splashing since the sink was smallish.
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We’re seasoned Sitters, we always buy our own supplies as if we are at home… we replace condiments if we’ve used lots, we do use perishables that have been offered to us and certainly use ‘leftovers’ that would otherwise be wasted.
I do want to add a comment, however, more than a criticism. Please, Hosts, if you’re leaving Sitters ‘Supplies’, don’t leave multiple, almost empty bottles of personal body wash, shampoo, conditioner, etc. , used soap ( often with hair in it!), 3 ply toilet tissue ‘hidden’ under the sink and replaced by 1 ply, grotty kitchen gear such as old dish cloths and scourers as some examples! I’d prefer to go out and buy new.
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I always have my own personal essentials, shampoo, conditioner body wash unless I’m told to use them. Some HO’s have left me little gifts that included travel size shampoos etc especially when i had traveled overseas. I’m from West coast USA. I was mostly interested in household supplies, dish liquid, etc. I have a repeat sit I do every year that’s 2 hours from me, and she’s extremely kind and generous and always leaves me thing’s and even buys me some food. Every situation is different.
Totally. Every Sit is different, and every Owner(s) is/are different!
We have stayed in a multi-million dollar home which had cleaners coming regularly, and there was not enough toilet paper for a 2 week Sit. We quickly set aside whatever brand they used, as I was not sure what brand it was. We bought our own and then placed their favorite TP back on the spool before we left!
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I recently did a 3rd repeat sit, she’s a stocker and told me to use what she left, she also had a bi-weekly cleaner come. She was very prepared and told me she wanted to show her gratitude. Everyone snd every situation is unique. I always buy my own food, restock supplies. Obviously we all have certain likes. Since my current is local which i typically do not do through this platform I’m close to everything.
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@Catgoddess_99 I would always expect there to be an abundance of basics- cleaning products , sponges, TP, hand soap, dishwasher soap, laundry detergent, paper towels.
On a sit of up to a week I would not feel the need to replace anything. For anything longer I’d start using our own supplies after a week or so to ensure there is enough of the HOs supplies left for them. We always carry our own disinfectant spray for immediate use on arrival.
Re personal products like shower gel or shampoo I don’t expect them, but will use if provided, especially on shorter sits.
Every home is different, I find that fascinating and a big reason I enjoy housesitting. I’ve stayed where the HO has enough supplies for years and years and to one where they had basically nothing for me. Since I’m living there, I don’t mind supplying myself with toilet paper and soaps but it is nice when someone has thought ahead to make sure my stay is comfortable and stocked but it doesn’t detract from the adventure if its not.
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As homeowners who usually take trips of six or more weeks, we do our best to ensure that our sitters have everything they need for at least the first two weeks and enough pet food and poo bags for the duration. We also try to ensure that they have enough basic foodstuffs for the first few days although our pantry usually contains enough for us to survive a nuclear war. Where we have difficulty is catering for the surprising number of sitters who are vegetarian or vegan.
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