I have a small dog but my mom babysits him when I’m gone. She insists. There may be a time when I need someone to babysit my dog but only for a few days at times. I only need my pool and plants looked after. Is this appealing to sitters? Silly question?
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I would think that would be very appealing, depending on your location of course.
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You would definitely have people interested. I suspect many sitters would prefer to do sits totally free of pet care if given the choice, but the main reason people use this service is because of their animals, so house only listings aren’t super common. As much as I love being around the pets, having a break from any responsibility in that regard would be a nice change up for sure.
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Thank you for your reply. I would think so too. Our house is easy, in a great location and has a pool. Easy peasy.
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As home owners needing sitters the peace of mind knowing someone was in the home while we traveled was a big part of why we joined this site.
Now, as sitters, I would say 20% of our sits in the last couple of years have had no pet - it’s not actually that unusual!
In some places (the UK for example) insurance policies are void if a home is left empty for 72 hours or more (unless the HO pays for a rider).
Some HO without pets will want a sitter for security.
Some HO without pets will want a sitter for the peace of mind in case of pipes bursting, fires, etc.
In the last year we have done a sit where the plumbing in a condo building broke - if we hadn’t been there the HO’s things would have been ruined (as it is, the floor has to be replaced).
Previously we have been at sits threated by fire (asked HO via EM for a list of “please take these things if required to evacuate”).
I would say over the years half a dozen emergencies occured that we have managed.
And in some places, a pool is deemed an “attractive nuisance” and if someone sneaks onto your property and has an accident in your pool? You need to prove you took measures to prevent that from happening. Crazy? Yes. But in two places I’ve lived with just a hot tub (California & British Columbia) I had to have special gates and fences for that reason.
Peace of mind is priceless.
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Yes please! Me, me! 
Just what sitters need sometimes, just a break to “smell the roses” so to speak, whilst still carrying out an important responsibility to a homeowner by caring for and ensuring security of their property. We all love the pets but sometimes we just need time out then begin pet sitting again with gusto. Most sitters would jump at the opportunity.
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Thanks for your reply. We live in Grapevine Texas. Yes, I got the code from a friend.
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I have a UK property and the usual insurance requirement is that a property is not empty for 30 days (not 3 days or 72 hours as was mentioned). Of course that may vary from company to company but I have never come across such a stipulation for a short trip away.
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Pool! Heck yeah. I live in Houston lol.
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Not at all! I believe it’s the most underutilized part of THS. While people with pets know the importance of someone taking care of them, homeowners should also realize the importance of someone occupying their home in their absence. Pipes can leak, storm damage can occur, mail/deliveries need to be handled, and a home is less likely to be broken into if it’s occupied than empty.
It’s a great idea to list your home.
Dan and Nan
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I’m pretty sure homes in the UK can be left for longer than 72 hours before their insurance is voided, unless things have changed since I came travelling. I think it’s more like 30 days
A few days is fine, we quite often have a few days free in between different longer duration of sits, and need another shorter sit to fill the gap.
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Yes Smiley it is 30 days - I checked my insurance this morning after reading the message about 72 hours. I think it is fairly standard across the industry that up to a month is fine without notifying the company and even then I don’t think there is additional to pay just a set of questions about how the home is being protected against potential burst pipes, security etc.
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also they will extend it if there is some one popping in regularly to check all is okay!
I don’t get a lot of suitable applicants to stay at my place. I have a house, garden, and no pets. The garden requires thoughtful attention during gardening season (3x/week) and practically no attention from November-February. My house is nice and the location is awesome for what it is, but not appealing to travelers who are hitting the big cities, especially those who need public transit. I think it really is about location more than anything.
Thank you for sharing. Hopefully I’ll have some luck. I live in Grapevine near Dallas so lots to do. My house is easy peasy. I have kayaks, bikes and they can use my truck if they want. We live by a lake and am in a tourist destination town. Hopefully that will appeal to them. Cross fingers.
Where do you live?
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I guess it depends on where in the UK - I was told this by two HO in London for homes that were pretty high end (one was a 4 level home backing onto a Common and the other was a three level home in Hampstead Heath.)
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I think it must depend on where in the UK. The two sets of HO who told us this both have very expensive houses in London - perhaps it’s different for them.
You can buy insurance for unoccupied homes specifically if you want to leave them for longer, depending on circumstances. Like if you have a vacation home.
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Thank you. I appreciate your input.