Hi @CatD and a very warm welcome to the Community Forum 
As @Twitcher mentioned, you need to do whatever you are comfortable with. We have often stayed the night before with homeowners and enjoyed a lovely meal they have prepared. It’s a great way to get to know one another and great friendships can be formed.
If not then we have always paid for accommodation nearby so that we can be there for the homeowners departure time. We would never expect the homeowner to pay for any accommodation for us.
For reference, as a member, you can also add your TrustedHousesitters profile on to your Forum profile by following the attached link, should you wish. This will then enable others to offer you helpful advice and feedback and will also give your listing extra exposure!
If you are unsure how to do this, or if you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to ask, we are all more than happy to help. 