They sound like such sweet, generous people. I love coming across HOs like this. It feels more like a friendship 
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I did a 6 month cat sit last year. When I arrived, the owners had left a load of Christmas gifts for me. So unexpected and much appreciated, especially as I was away from my family at Christmas. I am about to sit for them again, and they told me they’ve left some gifts from their Oz trip for me when I return. I can’t wait!
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We’ve just arrived to a sit with two home cooked meals in the fridge, loads of salad things (after a month of carb living 
), a giant, clean bed, some wardrobe space, a whole tub of grated ginger (@Maggie8K) as they know we love hot ginger every morning. All small things but huge as a combo & massively appreciated. #thoughtfulnessrocks
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Absolutely love that, @Cuttlefish!
I’ve already gone through two boxes of ginger tea and a bunch of ginger shots on my current sit.
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#poolincluded?
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I’m not fussy, and don’t expect anything much. But I did a sit last Christmas, and the HOs told me there were presents for the dogs under the tree. I got them, and gave them to the dogs (toys, that they loved), and then saw that there was a gift for me. A nice toiletry set. Such a thoughtful thing to do, and made me very happy.
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That’s super sweet! Still waiting for a toiletry set @janestheone (but was bought some very nice earrings on one Swiss 
sit that are still in my ears 2.5 years on ) #thoughtfulnesscounts
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Welcome to the community! Maybe leave something unique to your city or region. With live in the Dordogne, in France. Wines are very good and very cheap. We try to leave a bottle of local wine, and we let them know they can have any cheese left in the fridge, as we purchase from our street market every week.
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I enjoy it when there are local guide books available. On our last couple sits they had one for snorkling and beaches and one for hikes.
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When homeowners stock up the refrigerator for you so you don’t have to go to the grocery store. Or gives you gift cards to do groceries. Such a small thing, but with such enormous impact
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I don’t expect much, but a thank you card and a bottle of wine or a box of chocs would be enough to make me happy. To be perfectly honest when they owners do not do this small thing I feel slightly annoyed.
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Little things that make our sit that much better:
- Electric kettle
- Thorough welcome guide
- Coasters (to be used on furniture)
- LOTS of cleaning supplies
- A good vacuum and broom/dust pan
- TP/Box of tissues
- Extra animal treats and toys
- Extra towels (not just two for a couple)
- Space in the fridge and open closet/drawer space
- Maybe a welcome gift (but totally NOT expected)
- Clean oven and microwave
- Empty dishwasher and washer/dryer
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It is hard to be general like that. I don’t drink milk or eat marmalade. I have had a basket of chocolate and cookies. Fresh fruit is always good. I have had 2 instances where there was a cash gift. Unexpected, but very nice. One, where one dog was a bit of a challenge. Not a lot, but they wanted to compensate. The other was in a very rural location in MI and they were so happy to get someone. It was a lovely home, just in the middle of nowhere in March in MI. Cheaper than paying for a sitter. And a clean home when they got home.
Yes to lots of TP. I always bring some. Also, I stayed in a home, lovely, clean, but the oven and toaster oven had not been cleaned in a long long time. Why?
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I agree, I don’t drink milk and rarely eat bread, but I’ve been left baskets that included non-perishable treats, pitta chips, nuts, chocolates, wine, bourbon, etc, I appreciated the gesture and the fact that If I didnt use them, they would not go to waste
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offering to pick me up from the train station / airport! I certainly don’t expect it from anyone, but it’s always a relief when they offer 
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We have been sitting since 2018. Definitely a clean home and I hope for owners to consider the bed they provide. Of course it’s hard to get a perfect bed but al least a fairly new or less used bed would be appreciated.
One of the nicest things one HO did for us was provide gift cards to some of their favorite restaurants and bakery. Versus a recent housesit that had sticky notes throughout the house that said, “Do Not Open”, “Do Not Use”. We had a video conference and met with the HO for over two hours. The housesit had a pool, plants, and pets to care for. We handled all but when we arrived—we were disheartened by the sticky notes. We felt it was something they could have discussed with us while we met with them. It made us feel “”Untrusted”. It’s hard to give a negative review because the HO did communicate with us—maybe not as we would have liked. Again, it’s the little things…
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SMALL containers of cat litter. I am not that strong, and on too many sits the owners have left 50-pound bags of litter. FIFTY. POUNDS. Please, please owners - do not assume that your sitter is as strong as you are. Provide liftable containers of litter! For me the 14-pounders are about all I can comfortably handle. Which is weird because I have no trouble at all lifting a 20-pound cat!
I appreciate anything that suggests consideration, which so far, I’ve had with every sit. However, on my last few sits, there were some unexpected niceties; one left not one, but two gift baskets, one in the kitchen which wasn’t a basket but a reusable Trader Joes bag full of wine, beer, chips, chocolate, electrolytes (to counter the wine??), etc the upstairs basket had lovely sleep enhancements, pillow spray, body spray, lotions, a l.e.d red light mask, bourbon, a journal with prompts , books and slippers. The next HO picked me up from the ferry terminal and clearly prepared for a guest but also arranged for scuba and snorkeling lessons/outings. My next sit made their boat available to me and offered to send a chef for meal preps or cooking lessons. These were such fun and kind gestures, but I don’t include them in reviews because I don’t want future HOs to feel this is the expectation, nor do I want future sitters to be disappointed if those amenities are not available in the future
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