We’re new here and about to post our 1st request and I’ve been all over the forum and recommendations but would like to know from owners, how much do you prep your house for a sit. For reference, a 10 day sit over Xmas
I ask because my house is very clean, and generally lots of uncluttered surface areas, but every closet, cupboard, bookshelf and desk drawer is pretty full. We are 2 parents & 2 big teens in a 3 bedroom and I’m wondering how much ‘stuff’ I need to remove from my house… For example, I can’t really clear a drawer in the bathroom, but there’s lots of counter space, and I could empty my sock drawer, but does that matter? There are plugs next to the bed, but don’t really want to empty my bedside table. Is an over the door rack for a few hanger’s ok, or do I need to make space in my totally stuffed bedroom closet? Am I just over thinking it? (I’ll make sure there is space in the fridge and freezer, that’s not what I’m talking about ). Thank for any insights, much appreciated
The question has been asked many times. Hopefully you will find this link useful.
Take a look at some of the listings, especially in your area. It will give you an idea of what is on offer.
As a sitter I definitely appreciate some space for my personal belongings.
You can discuss this with prospective sitters. For some people it’s very important, not so much for others. I don’t really need closet space if I can close the bedroom door but if pets get in the bedroom, I like somewhere to keep my clothes clean and safe.
If you don’t offer wardrobe space just make sure not to mark that in your amenities section.
All of this depends on your sitter and the length of sit - but I always, ALWAYS, prepare my space for sitters the same, even if they don’t end up using it.
You actually can, and should, empty a drawer in the bathroom. Box up one drawer and store it somewhere else. I have a container specifically for my stuff, and I remove everything from my bathroom except items that a sitter may or may not bring but can certainly use (like Q-Tips).
I clear out my bedside table as well - and I pack as many of the clothes I’m not taking away so that a sitter has plenty of shelf and hanging space in the closet.
The hardest for me is the kitchen. Fridge is easy to clean and leave empty. Freezer is a bit hard, but I always leave as much space as possible. Where I run into trouble is the pantry. I have extremely limited space for non-perishable food. I always leave at least 2 small shelves (with basics like rice, soy sauce and of course spices) available for use, but it sometimes means putting a box of canned goods under my bed
I’ve had sitters traveling so light they don’t use half of what I’ve cleared for them - but the effort is always appreciated. The other benefit of this is that clearing out personal items that are typically in a bathroom or bedroom means I don’t worry about anything getting mixed in accidentally or my favorite and hard to find hair goop getting used up.
We have a dedicated guest room, so that definitely makes it easier. I take it from your description that sitters will be staying in your master bedroom/bathroom?
If there’s a lot of counter space in your bathroom I wouldn’t empty a drawer for 10 days, but make sure there is some space in the shower for sitters to place their own shampoo, etc if they want to.
For your situation, I would ask the sitter how much closet / drawer space they would like. There is no point boxing up your stuff if a sitter won’t need it. What may help is putting out a folding luggage stand for their bag, if they prefer not to fully unpack. If you don’t want to ask, then just assume for 10 days they need at least one drawer per person and a dozen or so empty clothes hangers in the closet. And somewhere for their shoes and a coat.
Lastly since it’s over Christmas I would ask the sitters if they want holiday decorations out, or put away. They may enjoy a festive atmosphere but be sure to ask as not everyone celebrates the holidays the same way (or at all).
As sitters, we wouldn’t expect a host to empty every drawer or cupboard for a 10-day sit. We’re staying in someone’s home, not moving in permanently!
What matters more to us is having somewhere to put our things, a bit of hanging space if possible, and enough room in the bathroom for our toiletries. An over-the-door rack sounds perfectly reasonable, particularly for a shorter sit.
I also think there’s a difference between making space available and feeling you have to clear everything out. Some sitters travel with very little and need hardly any storage, while others may appreciate more.
I’d focus on making the space clean and comfortable, providing a few practical places for sitters to put their belongings, and being clear in the listing about what’s available. You can always discuss any specific needs with your chosen sitter.
You’re probably overthinking it a little. The fact that you’re considering these things already suggests you’ll be thoughtful hosts.
One thing to keep in mind is your first posting to attract applicants is for the heaviest demand period of the year for sitters i.e. Christmas/New Year. You will be competing against thousands of other hosts worldwide and, depending on where you actually live (country then location), your competition could be quite tough. It’s, therefore, in your best interests to make your listing as appealing as you possibly can to attract potential sitters then vet them through a video chat and feel absolutely confident that they will look after your home and pets well. There is no guarantee you will get a sitter so you need a back-up plan. The sitter pool is generally less over the festive season as well, as sitters choose to spend it with their families, do paid sits, or just have a break themselves. Many of us have been booked for months for our Christmas sit, so you are likely to attract less experienced/new sitters, keeping in mind that you, too, are new members to THS with no reviews.
As to the preparation for them, they are guests in your home over a very special time (for many people) so making them truly feel welcome and appreciated is important. How would you feel if you and your family arrived at your holiday accommodation to find you all had to live out of your suitcases for the duration of your holiday and there was no room to put anything anywhere? Keep in mind that some of us don’t need the free accommodation as part of the equal exchange but choose to sit at this particular time to help families go away by looking after their pets and keeping their home secure. Being made to feel valued goes a long way.
We’re housesitters - suggest that you prepare house as if family/friend were visiting. It’s your home, not a hotel! That you’ve even asked this question suggests positive disposition to thoughtful preparation. Relax, suggest prepare reasonably and enjoy a great trip.
When we sat in a household with two teens, we put our luggage on the bed in the teens room and just lived out of that. For ten days we would not bother to unpack. That was the easiest for us so may be a good option for others.
Think about it like you are the guest, where are you going to put your stuff? It doesn’t necessarily need to be empty drawers and cupboards, but a sitter will have stuff and if will need to go somewhere.
Ha I just re read @Newpetlover comment about keeping clothes clean and safe and remembered when storing our luggage on the teens bed and finding the cat curled up in all my clothes, he looked pretty happy with himself
We’re sitters, a door rack with a few hangers is totally fine. or if your sits are very long, you could even have a metal clothes rail that you quickly assembly each time.
Space on top of a dressing table or drawers is handy. Fridge space is essential. A drawer of freezer space we have rarely got, so we always ask for it now.
From our personal experience, we never seem to get any cupboards, bookshelves, desk drawers, etc.
I would say about 1 sit in every 8 gives us a small section kitchen cupboard space, with the rest we just place our food items in the bread bin, or on top of plates or pots or pans in cupboards, or quite often have a bag on the bench with our food in (which isn’t any good for larger dogs with appetites or cats that love a rumage).
It is fantastic when we have a little amount of kitchen cupboard space in a normal cupboard to house our non-fridge food. It’s definitely something that we rarely get.
I think my personal stats is even lower. I must admit that it’s not a problem for me so I never ask. I have sometimes used the oven to put my stuff but, in my experience, that tend to be the one place that’s not very clean even in spotless houses.
Oooo the oven, I’ve never thought of that before, although I used a microwave as a cupboard before. We never ask for kitchen cupboard space because we always find somewhere (even the cupboard under the stairs and the spare bedroom has been used to store bread etc).
However, no freezer space finally got to us a while ago when we hit the 3 year mark, so it’s the one thing we ask for now. I just NEED to be able to have some fish fingers, frozen chips, or ice cream occasionally
I’m one of those who does not like to live out of a suitcase for anything more than 4 days and if there is a cat, you know it will find its way into my suitcase.
However, if space is limited, it’s understandable - I think it also depends on what kind of climate is your sit. If it’s cold, then sitters will arrive with more clothing, coats, etc. When we do hot weather sits, we don’t have that much that we need so it’s easier to have limited space. Space in the bathroom definitely is important to some - women especially, I’d say. But I travel with a hanging toiletries bag so as long as I can hang that I’m OK.
I agree with Felinelover that it’s not hard to empty a drawer and put those things in a storage bin, but the bins under a bed. If you plan to use THS more in the future this system will be repeated and handy. To me as a sitter it shows extra hospitality to provide space for our things.
Also, as someone else mentioned, Christmas is a very high-demand, low-supply time so the competition is tough. Unless you’re in a very sought-after area, you’ll need to entice sitters.
But the fact you are asking at all shows you care and that matters to sitters.
I have closet and drawer space in the bedroom. I do have drawer space in the bathroom plus the medicine cabinet. For the kitchen, I empty a large shelf in a cabinet for their use as my pantry is not very big and very full. It’s easier to empty the large shelf. I pretty much empty the refrigerator and have plenty of space in the freezer.
We clean the whole appartement and every appliance thoroughly. We empty one desk and one nightstand in the bedroom and we leave lots of place and hangers in the walking closet. We leave at least one shelf in the bathroom cabinet. We also clear lots of place in the fridge and freezer. We throw away everything that will lapse in our absence unless the sitter wants to use some items. We stock on essentials (toilet paper, tissues, paper towels, cleaning products, etc). And we make sure to have enough litter, food and treats for the cats for the duration of the sit. We also leave the sitter’s name with our vet and our credit card number in case of emergency.
I have great luck matching up with clean hosts who are well equipped to offer hospitality.
They clean or hire cleaners before I get there (a number have regular cleaners) but I think they live cleanly to start with. That’s why their ovens, microwaves and fridges tend to be clean or relatively clean.
I don’t cook, but I do use ovens, toaster ovens, microwaves and such to heat things up. Many cleaners don’t clean those or inside fridges or freezers, so those tend to be good signs of whether hosts live cleanly.
). Thank for any insights, much appreciated
