Hi, I am newish to THS and was wondering if it would be rude to ask a sitter to not cook in the kitchen other than using the microwave and toaster oven? We just moved into a grand new house with a really nice kitchen, and we are also particular with our pots/pans/knives, etc.
Would this turn off potential sitters? What if we offered some compensation via food delivery gift cards to make up for the potential inconvenience?
You may find sitters whoâd prefer to eat out⌠everyone has different tastes. Frankly it would turn me off. Iâd like to sit in a âgrandâ house but if homeowners think their kitchen is too nice for me to use, maybe they think their beds are too nice for me as well, or somehow I wonât be clean enough to use their bathroom either. It could suggest to sitters that theyâll get bad reviews if they donât clean everything to your standards. If you browse the forum youâll find some discussions of such experiences.
Iâm not even sure what being particular with oneâs pots and knives would look like.
Are you not particular about the microwave? Iâm particular about microwaves. Theyâre often icky and smell bad. Iâve cleaned several homeownersâ micros before using them. 
Do make sure to note this in your listing, and be specific. Donât spring it on potential sitters after youâve accepted them, or are on the way to doing so after a video call or exchange of messages. That way you will not waste your time or theirs.
Good luck. TH can be an opportunity to meet lovely people. Hopefully youâll find a match.
Iâm a HO who enjoys cooking and it would pain me to tell a sitter they canât fully use the kitchen. If you have expensive pots, pans and knives that you donât trust anyone else to treat carefully, you should buy cheaper versions for the sittersâ use and lock your high end stuff away.
Iâm afraid this would be a no from me. I donât cook a huge amount but I would be very upset to be thought not good enough to use a kitchen. I have stayed in homes with fabulous ones, memorable was one with a glass roof and at night had a star effect which you could change depending on your mood. This is meant to be an equal exchange, looking after pets in exchange for the use of someoneâs home. I skip over any sits that say you must stay in an annex with very few facilities and only use the house to see to the pets. I want to be treated as a welcome guest not staff.
Honestly, itâs not really in the spirit of THS to limit kitchen use @meowmeowmom. The mutual exchange is accommodation for pet care so if you remove the âheartâ of the home in your offering to sitters then that seems pretty mean to us. A microwave and a toaster is a weak offer. @ABGM makes good points about what else might you think too grand for your sitter, this site is all about creating a feeling of equality. #notforus
You trust sitters with your âgrand new houseâ & pets, but not not with your pots, pans, and knives?
Yes it is rude (and very odd) , and yes, it would turn off many potential sitters.
Itâs a bit insulting to not trust the sitter to look after your brand new house to the extent of not letting them use the kitchen but they can look after your pets?
What next, use the outside hose for their shower because they may mess up your brand new bathroom? Sleep on the dogs bed in the brand new utility room as the bedrooms are too good for them?
I really donât think you have grasped the ethos of trusted house sitters.
So the sitters arenât worthy of your grand new house with a really nice kitchen @MeowMeowMom ?
What a great and fair exchange!
You enjoying whatever you do outside, with your peace of mind that your pets are making the most of the pleasure of being at home, unlike the sitter/s relishing a toaster oven and a microwave⌠It sounds like being in a supermarket or a petrol station mood instead of feeling at home. And if you they are lucky enough, they might even receive a voucher or gift card. What a bargain!
The question is actually quite easy to answer, at least from my perspective, it just requires a bit of introspective reflection. 
Youâre clearly someone who enjoys cooking and using your kitchen space. How would you feel if, while staying in someone elseâs home to care for their pets and property, you werenât allowed to use or enjoy the kitchen, even just the basics? I imagine you wouldnât apply for that kind of sit.
Of course, you are absolutely entitled to set your listing up however feels best for you. That said, Iâd just suggest making sure your expectations/conditions are clearly described (please 
) in the listing. I assume that interested sitters will be applying, if everyone is on the same page, should be NO SURPRISES.
Speaking for ourselves, itâs a firm NO. Beyond the issue of not being able to use what sounds like a truly outstanding kitchen, the idea of compensating for that limitation with vouchers or gift cards doesnât really address the core issue. It seems to miss the spirit of mutual respect and balance that these sits are ideally based on. Yes, you are the HOMEowner, but that doesnât mean the sitter shouldnât feel at HOME thanks to your kindness.
I trust that you will take the constructive criticism in a positive way and be open to reconsidering the options.
A great question @MeowMeowMom and worth asking .
I usually cook during a sit and might eat out once or twice. Thatâs why I choose to house sit rather than a hotel , so I can cook and eat at âhomeâ . So a listing that said I could not use the kitchen to cook ( other than the microwave and toaster ) would put me off from applying. Such a sit would not make me feel welcome and at home . There are many âgrandâ houses listed on THS and so I would skip a listing that said this and apply for another similar home without this restriction.
Something to consider is that many sitters have their own grand houses with high end kitchen appliances and quality utensils and know how to take good care of them.
There are sitters who prefer not to cook whilst on a sit , so offering food delivery gift vouchers as âcompensation â is a nice gesture.
Also if itâs a short stay one night or a weekend in a fantastic location that might also work even for sitters who usually cook .
Itâs your home and you donât have to accept a sitter who you do not feel would take good care of it. For reassurance take time to thoroughly read sitters applications and profiles , look for sitters who have multiple 5 star reviews for being clean and tidy and who have previously stayed in similar âgrandâ properties.
I donât cook at all, but Iâd avoid any such sit, because such a request is rude and ridiculous, IMO.
I think you would do better with a paid sitter. On second thought as a paid sitter as well I would not take this sit. Please be honest in your profile regarding this so you donât waste anyoneâs time. I wonder if your cousin was visiting would you tell them the same thing. I doubt it. A kinder approach would be to replace your very best pots and pans with others for the sit and not mentioning that to the sitter. Oh, and we do use the stove so canât restrict that. Being told we canât use this or that is off putting.
Good question - so donât take anyoneâs comments personally, theyâre just trying to help you get the info you need.
We wouldnât apply, and we eat out a lot. Itâs about how you yourselves come across personality-wise, Iâd perceive you as being mean-spirited (even though youâre not, because youâre asking the question on here first because youâre new-ish, instead of just doing it).
Sorry, but Iâd view it as a little mean-spirited, youâre seeing your sitter as second class to you, instead of being an equal, it needs to be a win-win, whereby neither side is more worthy.
Thereâs a much larger picture that I think youâve forgot about too. Itâs not just about the kitchen. Weâd feel like we had to tread on egg shells everywhere in your place, it wouldnât be relaxing, weâd be on edge the whole time. As soon as your pets flinch, weâd be anxious in case they caused any damage, itâs not the chilling vibe we associate with stroking pets.
Hope that helps
Some of us sitters also have grand homes 
, so I wonder if this is more about general fear than your kitchen? Many HOs feel a bit anxious the first few times having complete strangers house/pet sit. Itâs normal. Iâd agree with other comments above about the specific non use of the kitchen as untenable for most sitters. The way to get over your fears is to be clear about how youâd go about finding a sitter. Your listing should include that youâre very particular about pots/pans/surfaces/kitchen equipment and would welcome applications from similarly minded sitters. I think Iâd apologise and say something about being fastidious or OCD, then youâll get applications from sitters who âget youâ. Definitely do have a video chat with sitters and establish youâre a good match. If I were your sitter Iâd video the kitchen as soon as I arrived as evidence just in case, that way Iâd feel protected from any unfair blame afterwards about perceived damage.
I have a nice home myself and havenât much of a budget travelling, so I eat out a lot when petsitting. I donât mind a ranger oven, that was what the host had on my last petsit.
If such a request was made - not to use the kirchen of the host - I would not apply or would withdraw. For me that would not be a good match between equal partners.
For me it would depend on the length of the sit, short sit would be ok as I donât cook much. As long as I had use of the kitchen for preparing my food and snacks etc I probably wouldnât mind. I agree that it does seem a bit unwelcoming but I understand that some people are very particular about cooking equipment and I am always cautious of using complicated equipment.
With everything on THS, I think itâs ok to ask the question or make the request. You will reduce your pool of applicants but if you are in a popular area and everything else about your communication is friendly then it might not be a problem for you.
As other comments have said, itâs about finding a match for both parties and therefore essential that you highlight this in your listing.
It would depend on the sitter. For us it would be a big red flag as in the attempt to protect your new kitchen you are signalling that you donât trust the sitter to look after it.
Hi @MeowMeowMom
An alternative option might be to send your pets to a grand pet hotel. There are luxury catteries, for example, which offer interior designed suites each with a climate controlled bedroom leading to a spacious play area allowing guests space to climb and exercise as well as relax. Residents can choose between poached chicken, juicy king prawns, and finest hand-flaked salmon for their evening meal. To be honest, this sounds far better than the accommodation I usually book for myself! It costs a small fortune, but at least your pots and pans would be safe.
Although you are seeking advice from owners as this is the category you have posted in, only one response is from an owner @MeowMeowMom. As it is sitters you will be wanting to attract, you can clearly read that those sitters who have responded (and they are experienced sitters) would definitely find it a turn off.
That is very snooty. THS is supposed to be an equal exchange. Sitters are guests. That makes it seem like they are unpaid employees. Iâm sorry but this is a turn off.
I feel as though asking someone not to use parts of the kitchen is akin to asking them not to use part of the bathroom. Theyâre kind of essential for every day living and although there are means to cook via the microwave, that could become very limiting.
Iâd not apply because this would signal youâre probably particular about other things in the house too, and I would feel unable to relax or make myself at home so whatâs the point in sitting?
It feels a bit like youâre on the top deck of the titanic and the sitters are from the third deck. Not really the ethos of the whole thing.